Max Verstappen savages Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson With brutal comments on F1 regulations feud

Max Verstappen believes the current car regulations in Formula 1 have limited the influence of driver ability and made it more difficult to win races.

The four-time world champion has endured a difficult year in F1, with just five podium finishes to his name as he sits sixth in the drivers' championship with 10 races remaining.

Verstappen believes a key issue is the current hybrid power units, which require the batteries to be recharged and prevent drivers from going all-out throughout a race if they want to manage their energy effectively. Although the regulations appear to have created a more competitive field, the 28-year-old also believes they have had a detrimental impact at the sharp end of the sport.

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Max Verstappen savages Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson

Verstappen would love to see F1 revert to V8 engines in future seasons to improve drivability and protect the integrity of the sport.

He believes the current power units have neutralised the driving experience and allowed less-experienced drivers to be more competitive than they should be at this stage of their careers.

Although he insists he meant no disrespect, Verstappen named Racing Bulls duo Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson as two drivers who have benefited from the controversial regulation changes this season.

"In the history of the sport, normally the driver that is the most committed, the latest on the brakes, earlier on throttle, committing in the high speed, they get rewarded, because you just gain that time in the corner," he told BBC Sport.

"But now you're constantly thinking about, 'In this corner I might have to hold in a bit. Go later on throttle. Or brake earlier. Or lift off. And then I have more top speed.' Stuff like that. It's so unnatural. It's so not how it should be.

"No disrespect. And I hope no one picks up on this. But look at Yuki [Tsunoda]. He jumps in the [Racing Bulls] car [at the Dutch Grand Prix]. Never driven the car before. Immediately competitive. Liam [Lawson] jumps from the Racing Bulls to the Red Bull – immediately competitive. It's because these cars are numb to your driver inputs.

"Of course, yes, you still have to do a good lap. And you still have to commit. The fastest drivers will always come out on top. But it's really, really limited, like a chokehold or something. You're held back."

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Max Verstappen reveals F1 engine wish

F1 has looked to embrace the use of more electricity in the coming years, but Verstappen is worried that the current plans could negatively impact the appeal of the sport.

Plans are already in place for the internal combustion-electric split to change to 60-40 in two steps by 2028, but Verstappen wants to see the engines revert to how they used to be.

He added: "It has to go back to a V8, just for drivability already. When you drive the old cars, you cannot imagine the difference in how the engine responds, or the drivability you get. And how terrible or horrible it actually is now compared to just having a V8."

When asked how they compared with last year's turbo-hybrid engines, he added: "Also horrible, the feeling compared to a V8. The V8 is so much better. It is so much more free, lighter. Cars are so heavy nowadays.

"It is better to just have a smaller V8 engine, much lighter. Try to really limit the battery size to maybe like a kind of push-to-pass battery. But you should not have it involved or any kind of proper normal performance running."

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