Max Verstappen makes an alarming confession about his health as he talks about the current era of ground effect cars

Max Verstappen has shared a concerning update about his physical state, which is being affected by the current generation of F1 cars. The sport reintroduced ground-effect cars in 2022 for the first time in 40 years, with the cars exploiting the Venturini effect, which creates more downforce and, in turn, better cornering. 2025 is the last year of the ground-effect cars, with 2026 about to bring entirely new technical regulations, which will shuffle the pecking order, with Mercedes expected to be the top dog. But car performance aside, Max Verstappen has not found the ground-effect challengers to be the most pleasing to drive. Ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver commented about the ground-effect cars, which are over 100 pounds heavier than the previous-gen cars. He shared that it has taken a toll on his physical health, with his back and feet bearing the brunt. “It hasn’t been comfortable at all, all these years my whole back is falling apart, and my feet always hurt. Physically, it hasn’t been the best. When you do scans, they don’t look good.” The last time Max Verstappen complained about back pain or any physical difficulty was after his victory at the 2024 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. However, that was only partially related to the ground-effect cars, and more about the bumpy nature of the Imola circuit left him “broken” and wanting painkillers and a massage. The 2026 F1 technical regulations aim to reduce the weight of the car by 30 kgs (66 pounds), make it more nimble, introduce active aerodynamics, and provide more electric power with a push-to-pass system for overtaking. Max Verstappen reveals the performance flaws of ground-effect cars In the ground-effect era, most F1 races have become a processional, with limited overtaking possible unless on long straights. George Russell recently complained about it after the United States GP, saying that the races are races only until Turn 1 of lap 1. While his comment was partially directed at the lack of tire degradation, Max Verstappen feels that following in the current-gen cars had become difficult because of the dirty air effect, and thus, preventing effective slipstreams. “I won’t miss these cars,” the Dutchman said on Wednesday in Las Vegas. “It was good for a while in the beginning [the dirty air], but not anymore. I do think you can follow a bit better, a bit more controlled anyway.” Comparing the ground-effect cars with their predecessor, the Dutchman added: “With those old cars, you really had extreme oversteer or understeer in certain places, and you don’t have that now. Now there’s just less downforce, and you have the problem that the slipstream with these cars isn’t as efficient anymore. On some tracks, it’s simply not enough for overtaking.” Though the ground-effect cars are one of the quickest in F1 history, Fernando Alonso also shared Max Verstappen’s view about not missing them in 2026. He complained about the weight, size, and closeness of the cars to the ground.
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