“Cars just don’t allow it,” Max Verstappen blasts the new F1 regulations after an incredibly boring Azerbaijan GP
Max Verstappen after his Baku disappointment has shown his displeasure toward the new F1 regulations.
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Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen was only able to manage a P2 finish at the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, and because of that, he is quite disappointed. His displeasure stemmed from the fact that he could not follow Sergio Perez closely at the Baku Street Circuit, and similar was the condition of the rest of the grid in their respective battles. Max Verstappen ardently feels the new F1 regulations are to blame for the boring race.
While shedding light on it in detail, he said, “I think the more downforce we generate – and that, of course, will always be every year – if you keep the rules the same it will be harder to pass. And I think also, because of the weight of the cars we have nowadays because they’re quite heavy, in the low speed it’s a bit harder to follow because as soon as you have a tiny moment with that weight, it becomes a bigger slide, it’s harder on the tyres so you overheat the tyres more.”
The reigning F1 World Champion has made it clear that he is quite disappointed with the state of things at the pinnacle of motor racing. Moreover, he feels the increased weight of the 2023 cars is one of the major factors that has led to the sport producing boring events like the recently concluded Azerbaijan GP.
The 25-year-old tried everything that he had in his arsenal at the Baku Street race, but despite all his efforts, he just couldn’t close the gap that he had to Sergio Perez once the Mexican got ahead of him under the safety car. Throughout the race, Perez was seen keeping Verstappen behind without too much sweat.
Max Verstappen is not pleased with the stiffness levels of the 2023 cars
While Max Verstappen has shown his displeasure toward the 2023 cars being too bulky, this is not the only thing that gets under his skin regarding the modern machinery. The Dutchman feels the new regulations have made the F1 cars a whole lot stiffer, and it is not aiding the drivers in maneuvering the cars as per their liking.
He further added, “And also with these new type of cars, you have to run them super stiff whereas I remember like 2015 or ‘16, you could do it sometimes a few different lines, you could run a kerb because the cars were quite – well, not soft – but it’s still a lot softer than what we run now.” Max Verstappen is not the only one who has complained about the new regulations, Toto Wolff and Carlos Sainz have also shared their unhappiness with the rules recently.
However, no matter how much someone complains, the decision-makers will not simply throw the rule book out of the window just because some people don’t like them. The rules are here to stay until 2026, and the drivers and the various teams would just have to adjust as best they can, as there are still quite a few years left in the arrival of the new set of F1 regulations.
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Rishabh Negi
(3244 Articles Published)