Verstappen brushes off Sainz's request for discussions about the rules.

      "We’re a bit late to the party regarding this."

      Max Verstappen has responded to GPDA director Carlos Sainz’s proposal that Formula 1's leadership should be consulted if the 2026 regulations turn out to be harmful to the sport. Sainz indicated he would be "the first to talk to Stefano Domenicali" if issues arose with the new rules. However, Verstappen, a prominent critic of the 2026 concept—recently calling it "Formula E on steroids"—believes it is already too late for such discussions. "We’re a bit late to the party with this," Verstappen stated in Melbourne. "A significant amount of money has already been invested in these regulations. All of this could have been anticipated much earlier."

      One suggested solution is to restrict the electrical power output to achieve a more balanced energy consumption across a lap, although Verstappen remains doubtful. "You can, of course, reduce the power," he noted. "But then the cars will also be slower. That’s why it’s challenging to determine what the best solution really is."

      On the first day’s performance order, Ferrari led with a one-two finish in the opening practice session, but Verstappen was the second fastest with the new Red Bull-Ford. He was cautious about overestimating the results. "Of course, when we look at performance, we’d like to be a bit quicker, and everyone always strives for more speed, but based on what we learned from Bahrain, we weren’t the fastest," he remarked. "But hey, I have no idea. We’ll have to wait and see where we stand here."

      George Russell, who is widely considered a title contender this season, is not convinced that Red Bull has revealed their true pace. "I thought Red Bull looked suspiciously slow in the second week of testing," the Mercedes driver said. "They were undeniably the quickest in the first test, and according to our data from the second, they were seven tenths of a second slower than in the first. So, I find it hard to grasp how they could lose seven tenths in one week."

      Verstappen, known for his cool demeanor with Russell, remained unfazed. "I don’t really think about those things," he stated. "I just concentrate on what we do here, and I’m not particularly concerned about what other teams are doing or what others say."

      McLaren’s Oscar Piastri provided his perspective on the competitive hierarchy. "From testing, it feels like Mercedes and Ferrari have a slight edge over us and Red Bull, I would say."

      Charles Leclerc, who topped the first practice session with Hamilton in second place, was asked about his Ferrari teammate's noticeably improved demeanor after a challenging 2025 season. "Do I see Lewis in a different state? No. I think he’s just extremely excited. He was very eager last year to join the team, and now he’s extremely enthusiastic about these new cars, just like I am."

      Leclerc offered his own take on the competitive landscape. "For now, it’s tough to predict, but I think Mercedes is ahead, and we’re a bit behind along with McLaren and Red Bull. We’ll quickly have the answer at the beginning of this weekend."

      This weekend also marks Verstappen’s first race without his longtime mentor Dr. Helmut Marko, who retired at the end of last season. "We’ve shared many moments together, so it definitely feels different in the garage," Verstappen said with a smile. "There are fewer Austrian jokes now. But I’m still in contact with him—not so much regarding the car, but just about life in general."