Formula Mario Kart, Verstappen stings: “Banana peels?”

New rules on the horizon

In recent days, the FIA ​​and Formula 1 have presented the new technical regulations which will come into force starting from the 2026 season. As we have already explained on FormulaPassion.it there will also be some innovations regarding the ‘tools’ available to drivers during duels and especially overtaking. No more DRS, but active aerodynamics – with the X-Mode, Z-Mode – and then Manual Override Modea sort of fully electric ‘Push to Pass’ that can be ‘activated’ when following another car.

In general, however, these are – understandably, given the novelty of the subject – terms and functions still unknown to the protagonists of the Circus themselves, who will have to begin to familiarize us in the coming months on the simulator, waiting for the criteria for use to be defined in detail. The world champion Max Verstappenbeing the great ‘purist’ that he is, however, showed some doubts about all these ‘devices’ who will intervene in the development of the race.

Bananas and shells

“What they’ve done is change the way you use energy a little bit on the straights – explained the home champion Red Bull to journalists present in Canada – and the more simulations are done, the better everyone will understand. With active aerodynamics we will try above all to get around the problems that existed on the straight [il rischio paventato era quello di dover scalare le marce in pieno rettilineo]but if it’s something controlled, I think it’s the same for everyone”.

On the Manual Override Mode instead Verstappen joked, citing the famous ‘banana peels’ and ‘red shells’ from the video game Mario Kart: “I don’t know how effective it will be [la Manual Override Mode], maybe you need some bananas and shells rbones – joked the champion – if it works, great, but at the moment it seems a little difficult to understand. It will depend a lot on how well you can follow the car in front, how effective the boost is and how slow the charging mode is. There are many things that still need to be understood well, it’s not just me, but everyone who is designing or putting together the rules. Everything will work well, but it is certainly more complicated”he concluded.