Verstappen Not Having Fun In New F1 Cars Amid Australian Grand Prix Setbacks

Max Verstappen will start from the back of the grid at the Australian Grand Prix after crashing in Q1 and says the new generation of Formula One cars is giving little enjoyment, adding that driving them is "definitely not having fun at all" despite being cleared to race following wrist checks.

The Dutchman, runner-up in the 2025 drivers’ championship, spun under braking for Turn 1 in Melbourne and reported wrist pain, but medical checks and X-rays showed no fractures, allowing Verstappen to continue his title bid despite a difficult opening qualifying session of the season.

F1 introduced major technical changes for 2026, including power units that move close to a 50/50 split between internal combustion and electrical power, and Verstappen has already criticised the new cars, previously describing them as similar to "Formula E cars on steroids" as drivers keep adapting to their different balance and behaviour.

Verstappen explained that the incident at the Australian Grand Prix qualifying felt unlike anything previously experienced in Formula One, describing a sudden loss of control under braking that caught Red Bull by surprise and left the team needing to investigate the data to understand what went wrong on the approach to the first corner.

Asked by Sky Sports about the crash, Verstappen added: "I didn’t speak to the team yet or didn’t look into any data [about the crash], but to lose the car like that on the braking, I’ve never experienced that in my life. I hit the [brake] pedal and suddenly the whole rear axle just completely locked up, so definitely a bit weird."

Verstappen gave more detail on the braking issue at the Australian Grand Prix qualifying, suggesting the problem started even before the downshifts, saying the rear wheels locked at the peak of brake pressure and left no chance to recover the slide, describing the situation as "something very weird" for the three-time world champion.

World champion Lando Norris also found the first qualifying session with the new Formula One cars difficult, ending Q3 in sixth place, 0.957 seconds behind pole sitter George Russell, and facing work to do on race day at Albert Park as McLaren target another strong result in Australia.

Norris, who won the Australian Grand Prix last year, can become only the third McLaren driver to take victory in the first race of consecutive seasons, matching Ayrton Senna’s 1990 and 1991 starts and Alain Prost’s achievements in 1987 and 1988, but Norris admitted that the 2026 car does not yet suit personal driving preferences.

Norris said qualifying with the new Formula One cars at the Australian Grand Prix felt uneven, noting that performance swung from lap to lap and that limited running plus technical issues left McLaren chasing balance, with debris in Q3 breaking the front wing and adding to what Norris described as a weekend with little luck.

Norris reflected that "I think George will be the only one saying [qualifying] was nice," and added that despite setbacks and feeling on the "back foot" with "a lot of issues on the car," the final grid position felt acceptable, even if the overall driving experience compared poorly with last season’s more stable and enjoyable machinery.

Norris summed up the step back in driving feel, saying: "We’ve come from the best cars ever made in Formula 1 and the nicest to drive to probably the worst. It sucks, but you have to live with it and just maximise what you get given. It’s certainly different. It’s certainly not like it was last year."

Verstappen later reassured supporters after leaving the medical centre, confirming there were no broken bones and reinforcing that the main concern for Red Bull now shifts to understanding the braking issue and adapting to the new Formula One cars before the Australian Grand Prix race start.

With Verstappen starting last, Norris lining up sixth, and Russell on pole, the Australian Grand Prix opens the new Formula One era with leading drivers questioning how enjoyable these cars are to drive while still needing to optimise performance under the revised regulations over a long season.