Why new F1 rules have punished Max Verstappen
About this episode
Mark Hughes dissects how F1’s new regulations are “punishing” Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc in very different ways. The focus is on two rule-driven problems: closing-speed differentials and drivers being forced to hold back in qualifying due to energy management. Hughes argues Verstappen’s car balance and energy usage clash with his signature slow-corner rotation, while Leclerc’s late-Q3 brilliance is harder for the energy algorithms to reward. Verstappen hints at retirement if racing doesn’t become enjoyable again, whereas Leclerc responds with a dedicated software team. The show also previews a key FIA meeting and fields listener questions on energy storage, stability control, the cost cap, and team principal rankings.
Two top F1 drivers punished by the new regulations — with two very different reactions.
Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc can’t race the way that they want to and Verstappen is threatening to quit. But Leclerc has built a team to help him master the new rules. Mark Hughes and Bryn Lucas look at what’s going on.
Plus: F1 faces a crunch meeting, and who is F1’s greatest-ever team boss?
More from Mark Hughes and Bryn Lucas on the stories that really matter, in the latest episode of the Motor Sport F1 Show.
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