Motorsport photoRonald VordingThu, November 27, 2025 at 9:50 PM UTC·6 min readWith new regulations on the way, drivers only have two more race weekends in the current generation of F1 cars. Max Verstappen – along with Fernando Alonso and George Russell – said in Las Vegas that they won't miss the current machines.
This is partly because the ground-effect cars are heavy, large, cumbersome, and unwilling to hustle through slow corners. But mainly it's a factor of physical discomfort.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTo maximise negative pressure in the underfloor, the ride height has to be extremely low and the cars have to be run with very stiff setups. Both aspects make the cars physically demanding for drivers, even after the initial porpoising issues were resolved.
FIA acknowledges problem “had not been anticipated”
Alonso said he "will not miss this generation of cars" and Verstappen aligned himself with that view while talking to the Dutch media in Las Vegas.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“It hasn't been comfortable at all, all these years - my whole back is falling apart and my feet always hurt," said Verstappen.
“Physically, it hasn't been the best. When you do scans, they don't look good. On the other hand, if you look at motocross, we have nothing to complain about. But if you know what it was or what it could be, I'd rather go for what we had in 2015-2016.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull RacingIt raises the question of whether the FIA may have underestimated the physical strain caused by the current cars, and whether things may even have gone too far at certain points.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I think the main issue you're referring to is the fact that cars have been running very low and very stiff," said FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis when asked about Verstappen's comments by Motorsport.com.
"That was something that, overall, had not been anticipated in the generation of these current cars."
FIA expects fewer physical issues in 2026
According to Tombazis, the good news is that next year it should no longer be a problem.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"The natural direction of the aerodynamics for next year still favours low-running cars more than high-running cars — but not by the same amount. The slope of aerodynamics versus ride height is reduced, which means that the optimum will be a bit higher, and the cars will be running, we believe, a bit softer overall in order to have mechanical grip."
That said, the FIA does not want to make overly bold predictions. The porpoising issue, after all, was also unexpected, meaning the federation cannot fully rule out unwanted side effects in advance.
Nikolas Tombazis, FIA single-seater director
Nikolas Tombazis, FIA single-seater director"Clearly, that is what we're speculating," Tombazis added. "We're not actually sitting there determining the conditions of the cars, but all indications we have are that it will be a bit better in that respect. But we’ll know for sure once we see the cars running."
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementTeams learn from issues such as porpoising
Mercedes deputy technical director Simone Resta pointed out that teams now have the capacity to resolve unexpected issues very quickly, as they did when porpoising manifested itself early in testing for the 2022 season.
"It's also fair to say that, like in every regulation change, this problem has been clearer and stronger at the start of this cycle," he said.
"So in 2022, there were a lot of porpoising issues and drivers complaining about that.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"And then, like in every cycle, month after month, year after year, teams understand the dynamics, understand how to cope with them — and the problem is kind of vanishing at the end of the cycle.
"So in every cycle, there's going to be a lot of new things to learn. It's going to be very exciting, and teams will take the time to sort out those issues."
Photos from Qatar GP - Thursday
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, FerrariKym Illman / Getty Images
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLiam Lawson, Racing Bulls Team, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls Team, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, MercedesDom Gibbons / LAT Images via Getty Images
Scuderia Ferrari pit crew practice
Scuderia Ferrari pit crew practiceDom Gibbons / LAT Images via Getty Images
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Oscar Piastri, McLarenAndrew Ferraro / LAT Images via Getty Images
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, FerrariKym Illman / Getty Images
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 TeamLars Baron / LAT Images via Getty Images
Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari
Frederic Vasseur, FerrariKym Illman / Getty Images
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin RacingDom Gibbons / LAT Images via Getty Images
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIsack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls TeamRudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 TeamLars Baron / LAT Images via Getty Images
A general view of the Paddock
A general view of the PaddockMark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin RacingZak Mauger / LAT Images via Getty Images
Scuderia Ferrari pit crew practice
Scuderia Ferrari pit crew practiceDom Gibbons / LAT Images via Getty Images
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 TeamLars Baron / LAT Images via Getty Images
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, FerrariDom Gibbons / LAT Images via Getty Images
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNico Hulkenberg, Sauber
Nico Hulkenberg, SauberGuido De Bortoli / LAT Images via Getty Images
Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber
Gabriel Bortoleto, SauberDom Gibbons / LAT Images via Getty Images
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, AlpineJayce Illman / Getty Images
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 TeamLars Baron / LAT Images via Getty Images
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, MercedesDom Gibbons / LAT Images via Getty Images
Lando Norris, McLaren
Lando Norris, McLarenZak Mauger / LAT Images via Getty Images
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls Team
Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls TeamSam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementMax Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull RacingDom Gibbons / LAT Images via Getty Images
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 TeamLars Baron / LAT Images via Getty Images
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, FerrariDom Gibbons / LAT Images via Getty Images
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 TeamLars Baron / LAT Images via Getty Images
Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Franco Colapinto, AlpineSam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull RacingDom Gibbons / LAT Images via Getty Images
George Russell, Mercedes
George Russell, MercedesLars Baron / LAT Images via Getty Images
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEsteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 TeamLars Baron / LAT Images via Getty Images
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, AlpineSam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Oscar Piastri, McLarenSteven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images
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