Max Verstappen is bracing himself for a bruising Italian Grand Prix weekend – and not because of the usual Monza bumps and kerbs.
The world champion has already “mentally accepted” that driving the 2026-spec machinery around the Temple of Speed will be, in his own words, “really painful,” as F1’s new power unit regulations collide with one of the calendar’s most power-hungry circuits.
Monza, 2026 – the nightmare Verstappen saw coming
Verstappen’s frustration with the 2026 rule set is no late-season mood swing. He sounded the alarm long ago, mocking the concept as “Mario Kart” racing when the campaign began and circling Monza as the place where the compromises of the new formula would be laid bare.
Back in 2023, he warned that drivers might have to downshift on the straights at Monza because of the 50:50 split between internal combustion and battery power. For a track built on flat-out blasts through the pines, that was a heresy.
Now, as the sport edges closer to that reality, the Dutchman no longer bothers dressing it up.
Asked on Thursday how the 2026 cars will feel around Monza, Verstappen told GPblog and others: “Really painful, it's very energy inefficient, but I also don't want to be too negative about it all.
“It's what it is, I accepted it mentally. Also, you know, just prepare for a weekend where it's a bit different. You cannot push flat out, you just have to be gentle with the throttle. Let's call it like that.”
That single line cuts to the heart of the unease. Monza is supposed to be about bravery, slipstream battles and late-braking lunges into the Rettifilo. Verstappen is preparing for lift-and-coast management and nursing the throttle.
“Far from fixed”
Verstappen has been one of the loudest voices challenging the direction of the 2026 rules, but there was no wild rant in the Monza paddock this time. Just a cold assessment of a framework he clearly believes still misses the mark.
He acknowledged that F1 and the FIA are working to “deal with the situation,” but he made it clear that the tweaks being discussed do not yet amount to a solution.
Asked whether the latest mid-season changes to the 2026 regulations would make Monza better or worse for overtaking, Verstappen cut through the optimism: “It happens on a lot of tracks where changes are being made to try and make it better, but better doesn't mean that it's fixed. It's far from fixed.
“But, I mean, everyone is trying to do the best they can, the FIA and F1, they are all trying to deal with the current situation.”
The message was blunt. The sport might be nudging the rules in the right direction, but in Verstappen’s view, the underlying concept still leaves too much performance locked away in unusable electrical energy, especially on a circuit that demands relentless deployment.
No “miracles” expected from Red Bull
Away from the long-term worries, there is the small matter of this weekend’s race. Even there, Verstappen struck a notably cautious tone.
Red Bull’s power unit has been widely praised, with the Milton Keynes outfit regarded as having the strongest ICE on the projected 2026 grid. That status might suggest Monza should be a natural hunting ground.
Verstappen doesn’t buy it.
“I think on the inefficient tracks, we've not been particularly great with energy, so I don't expect miracles here. It will still be tough,” he said.
The warning signs are clear. Circuits that punish poor energy deployment have already exposed weaknesses, and Monza sits firmly in that category. While the raw combustion power might be there, managing the hybrid side of the equation remains a delicate balancing act.
Complicating matters, the rest of the field is not standing still.
“Other teams around us are bringing upgrades at the moment, so they are making steps forward. We were already behind before that, so I don't expect that to change now. But we just try to learn more about the car and the things that we want to do different for next year as well.”
So this weekend, the reigning champion arrives in Italy not as the swaggering favourite, but as a realist. He expects a fight with the car, a fight with the energy limits, and a fight with rivals armed with fresh developments.
If Monza is already demanding mental acceptance from Verstappen in 2024, what will it look like when the full 2026 vision finally roars – or whispers – down those famous straights?
