Portugal Colonial - Verstappen slams new cars as 'Formula E on steroids'

The Dutchman ran his Red Bull for 136 laps on Wednesday, clocking the second quickest time of the day, before watching new teammate Isack Hadjar take to the track on Thursday.

But speaking at his first press conference of the year, Verstappen was underwhelmed by this year's rule changes which have led to a complete overhaul of chassis and engines for every team, with a bigger focus on energy management.

"To drive (they are) not a lot of fun, to be honest," he said.

"I would say the right word is management. It's not very Formula One-like. It feels a bit more like Formula E on steroids.

"But the rules are the same for everyone, so you have to deal with that.

"As a pure driver, I enjoy driving flat out and at the moment, you cannot drive like that. There's a lot going on.

"A lot of what you do as a driver, in terms of inputs, has a massive effect on the energy side of things. For me, that's just not Formula 1.

"Maybe it's then better to drive Formula E, right? Because that's all about energy, efficiency and management."

Verstappen admitted he likes the look of the new cars.

"Honestly, the proportion of the car looks good, I think," he said.

"That's not the problem. It's just everything else that is a bit, for me, anti-racing."

Verstappen tempered his criticisms when it came to the engineers and designers who have had to cope with the new regulations.

Red Bull have dispensed with the Honda engines of previous years and are competing this season for the first time with their own factory-built power units.

"On the other hand, I also know how much work has been going on in the background, also from the engine side, for the guys" he said.

"So, it's not always the nicest thing to say but I also want to be realistic as a driver."

On Wednesday, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton also weighed into the debate demanding the FIA, the sport's governing, would resolve different interpretations of the new regulations to ensure all 11 teams start "on an equal playing field".

On the track on Thursday, Charles Leclerc topped the timesheets in his Ferrari while putting in 128 laps.

World champion Lando Norris, who was quickest on Wednesday, was just behind after putting his McLaren though 139 laps, while George Russell was third quickest in his Mercedes.

P.Serra--PC