Search

Max Verstappen delivers warning ahead of major change: 'You cannot hide anymore'

Max Verstappen has warned that his GT outfit, Verstappen.com Racing, "cannot hide anymore" as it prepares to field a Pro line-up and fight for overall race victories. For 2026, the four-time world champion’s GT team is set to run a Pro line-up, which will see it compete in the top GT category of whichever championships it enters this year. It represents a significant change for the operation, which has made major strides in GT racing in recent years. Verstappen has also been getting more involved on the driving side of things, having raced at the Nürburgring in 2025. This year marks a period of change for Verstappen, with Formula 1 also introducing new power unit regulations. Red Bull faces the additional challenge of powering itself for the first time, having become an engine supplier. There is much uncertainty over the performance of Red Bull’s 2026 car, although the four-time world champion is opting not to become stressed, with every team in a similar position. Speaking on a Team Redline Twitch stream, Verstappen said: "For myself, I feel good. I’m still very relaxed because you can’t really know at the moment, of course, how competitive you’re going to be. So, yeah, we’ll see. I’m pretty chilled; I don’t stress too much because it’s bad for you, and it’s not going to change the result anyway. "And besides that, yeah, I’m very excited, of course, about the GT3 project as well. I’m trying to invest a lot of time into really making it a success. Also, being a Pro line-up this year, you cannot hide anymore. You need to fight up front — that’s the target. "But of course, with that comes a lot of preparation, which we are in the middle of. And yeah, just trying to keep improving every time we go out with the car. Besides that, of course, the sim racing programme — I’m very excited about that all the time anyway because it’s a big passion of mine. "But at the same time, the guys know what they’re doing. They’re very solid, they’re very strong, and I know that wherever they participate, they’re giving it their very best. So that’s probably, I would say, the most secure part of it all."

racingnews365.com·Jan 22

Liam Lawson handed clear Racing Bulls instructions: 'I have asked him'

Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane has outlined clear instructions for Liam Lawson this year and has "asked him" to keep a lookout for team-mate Arvid Lindblad. Lindblad is the sole rookie on the 2026 F1 grid and, at just 18 years old, is set to become one of the youngest drivers in the history of the sport. As a result, Lawson will become the Red Bull sister team’s lead driver as he prepares for his second full-time campaign. Following his return to Racing Bulls after two races at the start of 2025 alongside Max Verstappen, Lawson took time to rediscover his form. However, in the second half of the season, the New Zealander delivered excellent performances in Azerbaijan and Las Vegas, proving to Permane the talent he possesses. In addition to supporting Lindblad, Permane’s instruction to Lawson for the upcoming season is to understand why certain things happen, rather than being unsure of the reasons behind, for example, an early elimination in qualifying. Discussing Lawson becoming the team leader, Permane told talkSPORT : "Yeah, he’s the senior member, with kind of one season under his belt, you know? So, again, it’s a big ask for him. I have asked him, and I will be asking him, to be there to help Arvid as needed. "Now, that doesn’t mean to baby him or mother him, or that sort of thing, but just when things are tricky, to maybe put an arm around him to help him there. "But Liam’s also got himself to focus on—don’t forget—so he will be working hard to do a good job, to replicate the very good performances we saw from him last year: Baku, qualifying third; in Vegas, qualifying sixth; some really exceptional races as well. "And what I really want him to do is eliminate the not-so-good stuff. So the times when he comes back after Q1 and he’s gone out and says, ‘I don’t know what happened there’—that’s what he needs to eradicate. And honestly, if he can keep at the good level we know he can reach, he’ll be a very good Formula 1 driver."

racingnews365.com·Jan 22

Max Verstappen downplays new F1 regulations 'shock'

Max Verstappen has downplayed the severity of Formula 1’s new power-unit regulations for the upcoming season, saying they do not come as a "shock" due to the amount of preparation time on offer. From 2026, F1’s power units will consist of a 50/50 split between electrical power and internal combustion, representing the championship’s biggest step yet towards electrification. Given the scale of the regulations, all teams had a major focus on this year during last season’s campaign. Williams opted against introducing any significant upgrade packages in 2025 to focus on the new regulations, while Ferrari made the call at the end of April. Red Bull was one of the last teams to end development of its package from last year, yet Verstappen has insisted the Milton Keynes-based outfit is prepared. Discussing the size of the new power-unit regulations, Verstappen told Bloomberg : "I mean, you know that even heading into that season, right? So it’s not like it comes as a shock. "The team is prepared for that, and it’s also a bit of a new challenge. I enjoyed the cars the last three years, but at the same time sometimes, yeah, it doesn’t hurt to have a bit of a change. "Yeah, it can also really upset, of course, the grid. You don’t know. So yeah, we’ll see how that goes." In addition to the new regulations, Red Bull has become an F1 power-unit supplier for the first time in its history, producing engines for itself and sister outfit Racing Bulls. To aid the challenge, it is receiving technical support from Ford as part of a major partnership with the American manufacturer. Asked what it means to work with Ford, Verstappen said: "It’s a great opportunity as well. I’m just excited to get started. "There is a massive heritage in racing as well. So, yeah, I think everyone is just now very keen to get started."