Verstappen happy to be on podium again but rails against F1 rules

MONTREAL, May 24 : Max Verstappen returned to the Formula One podium for the first time this season on Sunday but the Red Bull driver, third in Canada, left no doubt about his unhappiness with new rules he considers to be anti-racing.

The four times world champion, 28, had said on Saturday it would not be "mentally doable" for him to continue beyond this season if the sport backtracked on agreed rule changes for 2027.

The latest hybrid power units are now split roughly 50-50 between combustion power and electric but the changes would make that more like 60-40, allowing for more flat-out racing and less energy management.

Verstappen, who has been one of the foremost critics of the existing rules, told Sky Sports television that the tweak would be "the very minimum" acceptable.

"The thing is of course I know how pure other motorsports can feel like," said the Dutch driver, who competed in the Nuerburgring 24 Hours endurance race in between races in Miami and Canada.

"So then when you come back to this, it's just not very nice.

"I don't want to be too negative now after a race like this but I know what it feels like to drive pure racing cars and pure overtakes, pure racing and just natural driving. This is all, especially qualifying, very anti-driving, anti-racing.

"And that's not what Formula One should be about."

Verstappen said a 60-40 split would naturally help the situation.

On Thursday he had told reporters the agreed 60-40 changes would boost his chances of staying in the sport.

"I always wanted to continue anyway, but I always wanted to see change. And I think the change that's coming now is definitely very, very positive — or at least, almost back to normal," he said then, before reports of some manufacturers having doubts.

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