Max Verstappen makes worrying claim just days before Australian GP

Max Verstappen's latest comments have concerned F1 fans ahead of the Australian Grand Prix.

The 2026 season-opener takes place at Albert Park in Melbourne on March 8.

It will be the first race that sees the extensive new regulation changes in action, with significantly altered aerodynamics and power units now in use.

There appeared to be clear winners and losers from testing in Bahrain, with Mercedes and Ferrari setting the pace while Aston Martin struggled.

Red Bull, it seems, were closer to the winners camp, with few reliability issues and a consistent presence near the front of the field - even if they may not be the outright fastest car at this stage.

Four-time world champion Verstappen, though, hasn't exactly enjoyed the adaptation to the new cars, stating before the first of two Bahrain tests that they are 'not so fun' to drive.

Max Verstappen pictured during 2026 Bahrain testing (Image: Getty)

"As a driver, the feeling is not very Formula 1-like," he said. "It feels a bit more like Formula E on steroids.

"As a pure driver, I enjoy driving flat out. And at the moment, you cannot drive like that. There's a lot going on. A lot of what you do as a driver, in terms of inputs, has a massive effect on the energy side of things.

"For me, that's just not Formula 1."

In a new interview with Dutch outlet Viaplay, Verstappen has reflected on testing as a whole 'pretty positively', adding that it is 'extraordinary' how Red Bull have managed to design their own, reliable in-house power unit - in collaboration with Ford - for the first time in their 21-year history.

However, he issued a word of caution ahead of the Australian Grand Prix which will concern his and Red Bull's supporters.

"Of course, in terms of performance, we'll need to take another step to fight at the front," the Dutchman stated.

Max Verstappen speaking to Viaplay (Image: Getty)

"Because realistically, I don't think we'd able to fight for the win at the moment.

"To be fair, we didn't expect that going into this new era of regulations, with our own power unit."

Verstappen and Red Bull, however, are not the only team attempting to play down their potential performance in Australia.

Mercedes driver George Russell claimed last month that Red Bull's advantage over the rest of the field is 'pretty scary' in terms of energy deployment over one lap.

It remains to be seen how the field will stack up in Melbourne - particularly with, at the moment, a small percentage chance of rain forecast for the race on Sunday.