Four-time world champion Max Verstappen insists he is “motivated” for the new Formula One season despite concerns over the sport’s new rules.

Speaking on Thursday in Bahrain at the second of three testing sessions designed to give teams and drivers a chance to adapt to their new machines, Verstappen said he found the cars less fun to drive.

But McLaren rival and reigning world champion Lando Norris offered the opposite view, saying he was enjoying his battle with the new challenger, adding: “Any driver can go find something else to do. It’s not that he has to be here, or any driver has to be here.”

F1 introduced new chassis and power units with a focus on becoming more sustainable in what is widely regarded as the biggest rules change in the sport’s history.

The new engine relies more on electrical power than its predecessor, requiring drivers to use new technology to charge the battery so they can achieve optimal lap times.

“As a driver, it feels less like Formula One. It feels more like Formula E on steroids,” Verstappen said.

“But the rules are the same for everyone, so you have to deal with that. It’s not my problem either because I’m all for, equal opportunity, I don’t mind that.

“But as a pure driver I like to drive full speed, but at the moment you can’t drive like that. There’s a lot going on. As a driver, a lot of the things you do in terms of inputs have a huge impact on the energy side.

“For me, it’s not Formula One because maybe it’s better to drive a Formula E car, right? Because it’s all about energy, efficiency and management. That’s what they stand for.

“So, yeah, driving wise, it’s not that much fun. But at the same time, I know what’s at stake for the team, our own engines and people’s excitement. Of course, when I’m in the car, I’m always trying to do my best. They know that. But, the excitement of driving is not that high.”

Despite Verstappen’s reservations about the technology, he said he and Red Bull have extra motivation because they are building their own engines for the first time since joining the sport in 2005.

During a test run in Barcelona last month and over two days in Bahrain so far, the engine appears to have performed well beyond the expectations of most in the paddock.

Verstappen told Sky Sports F1: “You can’t really say what’s good and what’s bad, but I think the positive thing is that we didn’t fall apart and everyone was really proud of the whole project because it was huge.

“It’s not an easy thing to do well. We’re moving in the right direction. Naturally, everyone is very motivated to try to get this project off the ground. We’re learning a lot every day.”

‘It’s a good, fun challenge’ – Norris refutes Verstappen’s take on new car

Norris, the 2025 champion, contradicted Verstappen’s comments after Thursday’s race, saying he found the new challenger “interesting and I really like it” before quipping: “So, yes, if he wants to retire, he can retire. “

Norris added: “Formula 1 is always changing. Sometimes it’s better to drive, sometimes not so good.

“We get paid a lot of money to drive so you can’t really complain at the end of the day. Any driver can go find something else to do. It’s not like he has to be here, or any driver has to be here.

“It’s a challenge, but a good, fun challenge for the engineers and the drivers.

“It’s different. You have to drive it differently, understand things differently and manage things differently, but I can still drive the car and travel around the world and have a lot of fun, so no complaints there.”

Reflecting on the first week of car testing, Norris said: “It’s still early days in regulation, which means it’s going to be a lot slower. But if we fast forward to the end of this year and into next year, we’ll be a lot faster by then.”

“Everyone can express their opinion, have their own opinion, speak out and decide what they want to do. No one should complain about that or be upset about it. Every driver has his own opinion. He doesn’t like it and I like it.”

Verstappen: ‘Good drivers adapt’

Verstappen also explained that his reservations about the new car were not due to concerns that he or other top drivers wouldn’t be able to adapt.

He added: “Generally speaking, in the history of the sport, the fastest or best drivers usually win the championship or end up with the best teams.

“But I think all good drivers will be able to adapt to it. It’s not a problem, but it’s just that the whole way of racing is changing, I don’t want to be clear.

“The good drivers are always in the lead, and of course those who have more ability to drive fast may be in the lead.

“But that’s not what I want to say, because that’s not what I’m worried about, it’s just the general driving experience.”

Sky Sports F1 Bahrain test schedule

Test 1: Friday 13th February

• 3 p.m.: Last hour of live track and field events
• 8pm: Test ends
• 8.30pm: Ted’s Test Notebook

Test 2: Wednesday, February 18th, Thursday 19th, Friday, February 20th

• 6.50am-11.05am: Morning live broadcast
• 11.55am-4.10pm: Afternoon live broadcast
• 8pm: Test ends

Stream every race of the 2026 F1 season live on Sky Sports, starting with the Australian Grand Prix on March 6-8. Watch Sky Sports now – no contract, cancel anytime