Felipe Massa has strongly criticized the current direction of Formula 1 under the 2026 regulations, raising concerns about the quality of racing and echoing the views of Max Verstappen. The former Ferrari driver believes that the sport is moving away from what fans truly want to see, highlighting issues such as artificial overtakes and increasingly large performance gaps between teams.
Max Verstappen is not alone
For Max Verstappen, the quality of Formula 1 racing in 2026 has dropped to such a low level that he has been seeking excitement elsewhere, including competing at the Nürburgring whenever his Formula 1 schedule allows. Taking advantage of breaks between Grands Prix, the Dutch driver has been driving a Mercedes GT3 car run by his own team, looking for the kind of racing thrill he feels is currently missing in F1.
This strong and direct criticism of the new era is shared by several figures within the sport, including former drivers and paddock insiders. While some, such as Juan Pablo Montoya and Jacques Villeneuve, have expressed a degree of appreciation for the first races of the season, Felipe Massa has aligned himself more closely with Max Verstappen, openly questioning the effectiveness of the current technical and sporting regulations—albeit in a slightly less extreme tone.
Felipe Massa attacks Formula 1
In an interview with the Spanish newspaper Diario Sport, the former Ferrari driver did not hold back in expressing his doubts. “Formula 1 needs to understand what the right rules are, because what is happening now is not enjoyable, it is not what people want to see. Of course, we see a lot of overtakes, but they are not the right ones—they are fake overtakes! In F1, drivers should be driving at the limit most of the time, and that is what people want, whereas now, in a way, the driver is more like an engineer. This is not good, and it will be necessary to understand immediately what to do with the regulations. Also, last year we finished the championship with maybe a one-and-a-half-second difference between all the cars, whereas now we see gaps of even five seconds. This is terrible.”
“Without a doubt, we are now in a situation where,” continued the Brazilian driver, who is currently involved in legal proceedings with the FIA and Formula One Management over the 2008 Singapore ‘Crashgate’ case, “the strong teams will fight to keep things as they are, while the less competitive ones will push to change the rules. But I believe it is important that the Federation and Formula 1 understand what is best for the sport.”
Felipe Massa also warned about the potential for a dominant team to emerge if no regulatory adjustments are made. “If there are no rule changes, there will be a Mercedes dominance similar to the early years of the hybrid era. In fact, Ferrari is not that far away, and it is nice to see them fighting, but we do not know if Mercedes is really showing everything it has. Maybe they still have something up their sleeve. A magic button hidden somewhere? Well yes, maybe they do!” he concluded, laughing.
As the debate around the 2026 Formula 1 regulations continues, voices like Felipe Massa and Max Verstappen are adding pressure on the FIA to evaluate whether changes are needed to preserve the essence of racing and maintain the competitive balance that fans expect.
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