Max Verstappen predicts one team can provide a “big advantage” in F1 2026

Max Verstappen has suggested that if one team follows the 2026 regulations before the rest do, we could expect another era of dominance.

Fine details of the rule changes due in 2026 were revealed last week and while many have suggested there will be problems with it, Verstappen said he was “in the middle” but suggested it could lead to more dominant seasons.

Max Verstappen warns against dominating F1 in 2026

There is no denying that Red Bull has been the big winner in the current regulations, overtaking Ferrari in early 2022 before being the dominant force until recently.

While 2024 is shaping up to be the toughest fight in constructors’ history, Verstappem was looking forward to it and suggested that 2026 was just as likely to produce a dominant team.

“I’m in the middle,” he told the media about the new regulations. “New rules are new rules.

“I think it’s also a bit of a consequence of the engine. They say it’s 50-50 with the engine and battery, but that’s not entirely true. That’s why we need active aero on the straight, to reduce air resistance, to make everything, let’s say, more balanced, to do a proper lap. Otherwise it will drain the battery, which I think was the problem they discovered.

“But apart from that, I think the one thing, and maybe others have also said, is that the longer you keep the same rules, the more the atmosphere between the teams becomes tighter. So ’26 will probably be quite a big reset not only from the performance side of the car, but also from the engine side.

More about the regulations for 2026

👉 Martin Brundle reveals key concerns over F1 2026 regulations following FIA disclosure

👉 Five key takeaways from the FIA’s sweeping 2026 rule overhaul

“Humans are good at following the rules and have a big advantage over the engine. We just don’t know at this point, but some people will probably feel more confident about this than others.

Still, Verstapepn admitted the rule changes were introduced to encourage new manufacturers and said he might be pleasantly surprised when he drives a real car rather than a simulation.

“F1 also wanted to attract new manufacturers and for this to happen, real change is needed,” said the 26-year-old.

“We’ll see, maybe I’ll be very pleasantly surprised when I jump in a real car and think, ‘Oh, this is amazing.’

“But at the moment I’m in the middle and we ride with what we get. I’ve seen a lot of simulations. It’s not like they (the regulations) suddenly came out and now we’re starting to develop.

“It’s something that already exists and is obviously refined, and I have to say that from when I first saw it to the latest updates that I’ve seen, I think they’ve made really good progress in terms of how the engine and chassis work together.”

Read further: Carlos Sainz to Williams: Five reasons why F1 2025 move rumors aren’t as crazy as they seem