[Saba Sports News] Max Verstappen’s dissatisfaction with the 2026 new regulations is stirring up growing controversy. This time, former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has directly called out the Dutchman, even publicly stating that the FIA should consider handing Verstappen a suspension.
Since the start of the season, the all-new power unit rules have become one of the most contentious topics in the F1 paddock. With the proportion of electric power significantly increased, drivers have had to frequently manage energy recovery and battery usage, making energy harvesting and coasting off the throttle almost buzzwords at every race. Although the FIA adjusted the rules ahead of the Miami Grand Prix — including lowering the qualifying energy recovery limit and revising the output of the deployment mode — Verstappen still insists the fundamental issues have not been genuinely resolved.
On this matter, Montoya said openly on a show that active F1 drivers must respect the sport and should not publicly downplay Formula 1 the way Verstappen has. Meanwhile, Montoya admitted that many drivers’ public remarks do not fully represent their personal views, but are instead part of team politics. He revealed that he experienced a similar situation during his own career. Back in the 2003 season, Williams was originally in contention for the championship. However, after Ferrari filed a protest over its tyre design, coupled with continuous public pressure from Ferrari’s lead driver, the FIA eventually ordered the tyre supplier to modify the front tyre structure. This caused a sharp drop in front-end grip for the Williams car, leading to a slump in performance.
In the editor’s opinion, Verstappen’s discontent with the new regulations is partly justified on technical and conceptual grounds, and also fuelled by Red Bull’s current political standing and competitive disadvantage within the sport. His criticism stems both from a sense of responsibility for F1’s future and the realistic demands of a team now trailing in the standings.