It would be unwise to view Verstappen's remarks to BBC 5 Live pit-lane reporter Jennie Gow after the Japanese Grand Prix as primarily intended as leverage. Verstappen would like F1 to change the rules, but that is because he has a fundamental, almost primal, objection to what they have done to the cars. The Red Bull driver is talking from the heart. He has been saying similar things not just since the start of this season, but since he first tried the 2026 cars in the simulator a couple of years ago. He does not like the way the power tails off in the later part of straights as the electrical motor runs out of power and starts to regenerate energy. On the more energy-starved tracks, he does not like the way drivers have to lift and coast before braking to recover energy in qualifying. This