Verstappen, Drivers Slam F1's New Engine Rules
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- Max Verstappen qualified only 11th for the Japanese Grand Prix — beaten by new Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar (8th) and pole-sitter Kimi Antonelli — and said he is "beyond frustrated" with F1's new hybrid engine rules, which he's likened to "Mario Kart" and "Formula E on steroids."
- The new 50-50 hybrid engines require energy management throughout qualifying, meaning cars lose electrical power well before braking points — Lando Norris said losing 56 km/h down the straight "hurts your soul," while Lewis Hamilton (starting 6th) lost 0.25 seconds on his first Q3 lap after a snap of oversteer disrupted the engine deployment algorithm.
- Charles Leclerc said the rules "destroy" the reward for pushing over the limit, because "whenever you play with the limit you get destroyed in the straights" — a frustration echoed by Carlos Sainz and the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, who said drivers were reassured by the FIA that changes will come.
- FIA single-seater director Nicolas Tombazis told drivers at a Friday meeting that qualifying rule changes will be made, with a review meeting set for after Sunday's race and further discussions planned between the teams, the FIA, and F1 before the Miami Grand Prix.
- McLaren team principal Andrea Stella said the priority is rewarding drivers who exploit grip limits, noting that Suzuka's iconic Degner One corner has been reduced to a place where "you almost lift and roll through" rather than commit for tenths of a second.
Why it matters: F1 faces rare mid-season pressure to revise its new hybrid engine regulations after multiple top drivers — Verstappen, Norris, Hamilton, and Leclerc — publicly united in criticism of energy-management rules that slow cars before corners. The FIA has already committed to a review meeting, giving the GPDA unusual leverage against teams that may resist changes before Miami.
