Max Verstappen laughs off ‘late’ FIA call over 2026 regulations

Verstappen was asked about comments from FIA Technical Director Nikolas Tombazis, who recently welcomed suggestions and feedback from drivers in an effort to improve the new rules and ensure the best racing possible.

However, the Dutchman was quick to dismiss the idea that meaningful changes could still be made at this stage. According to Verstappen, the governing body should have anticipated potential issues with the regulations much earlier in the process.

“Yeah, we'll be late with that, right? I mean, everything — the amount of money that has been invested as well, you know, into these regulations — they will be around for a while. So, I mean, you could have seen this coming, you know, that suddenly now things are raised, it's a bit late,” Verstappen told GPblog.

The 2026 regulations have largely been greeted with mixed reactions from drivers and key stakeholders involved. Earlier, Verstappen himself likened the 2026 cars to “Formula E on steroids,” something other drivers, including Lando Norris, have subtly agreed with.

Earlier, Stefano Domenicali, CEO of Formula One, addressed the growing criticism surrounding the 2026 regulations.

The Italian motorsport chief, during his media interaction, called for calm, emphasising that the new regulations are still in their infancy.

The 60-year-old continued by stressing that if there is a need to make changes or implement adjustments, the sport’s governing body remains open to it.