Verstappen: F1 left with 'F3 power' at Spa in 2026
Max Verstappen says 2026 Formula 1 cars feel like Formula 3 machines for much of Spa's middle sector, running roughly 450-500bhp on the combustion engine alone with full F1 downforce—an energy-starved stretch that has left drivers across the racing planet calling the classic Belgian circuit far less exciting to drive.
The four-time world champion qualified second at the Belgian Grand Prix, yet still described sector two as dull after the session. Fans following Streaming & TV Alerts coverage will hear the same theme: Spa under the new rules is a different track.
Key Takeaways
- Verstappen likened Spa's middle sector to an F3 car with F1 downforce, citing about 450-500bhp on the combustion engine only.
- Without MGU-K deployment, 2026 power units produce around 540bhp—less than F2's roughly 620bhp; F3 cars sit near 380bhp.
- Oscar Piastri said Pouhon is now more a "bend in the straight," while Lando Norris flagged big speed loss at Blanchimont.
- Carlos Sainz said no one enjoys qualifying laps as much as last year and wants the rules to evolve.
- Drivers expect gradual fixes, with the combustion-to-electric split moving toward a 60-40 balance by 2028.
Why does Verstappen say Spa feels like F3 power?
Asked what the 2026 regulations have done to one of his favourite circuits, Verstappen pointed straight at sector two. "For most of sector two, you run just on the engine. So, what is that? 450bhp, 500bhp? Something like that, which is, I guess, less or more or less what a Formula 3 car has but with F1 downforce," he said, per The Race.
"So, you can imagine, of course, that that is not very exciting to drive." Fernando Alonso had already flagged the same issue: drivers cope largely without MGU-K electric boost through that part of the lap.
Ideal 2026 cars can approach about 1000bhp. When energy-starved—as they often are at Spa—they feel closer to Formula 2 levels. Verstappen's F3 comparison sits on the extreme end of that critique.
How have McLaren and others described the 2026 Spa experience?
McLaren's Oscar Piastri called Pouhon "pretty nasty" and said it is "more appropriate calling it 'the bend in the straight' because it's not a corner anymore." He noted exits can swing from near 1000bhp to roughly 550-600bhp depending on electric deployment.
Lando Norris had warned fans would not see "who has the biggest balls" through Pouhon, and said Friday that drivers lose around 50 km/h through Blanchimont when active aero wings close between straight-mode zones. Ollie Bearman was milder: Spa is "a bit less interesting and fun to drive" than before.
Verstappen summed it up as more than one corner: "It's not only Pouhon, it's the whole track. It's a different Spa, but yeah, I mentally readjust to it."
Will F1 drivers keep criticising the 2026 rules?
Verstappen said he does not want to "complain again" every week—"probably someone will shoot me outside the door"—but admitted he is "mentally just adjusting" and trying to make the best of a package he does not love. Williams' Carlos Sainz, a GPDA director, said "no one out there is enjoying the qualifying lap as much as we did last year," while arguing the sport still grows and must improve next year and beyond.
Sainz also questioned how early simulations were accepted. Drivers hope the combustion-electric balance will improve in steps toward a 60-40 split by 2028—news that matters for anyone watching the Belgian Grand Prix unfold this weekend.