I wonder how much Verstappen is shaping the 2026 car to his driving style when I read this:
Laurent Mekies [...] says Verstappen is "doing everything he can" to have a fast car in 2026.
"Max is doing a lot more than just asking for the numbers. You would be surprised. Max is giving so much to the projects also outside of the car. He's not just asking the numbers," said Mekies.
"He's testing the car in the simulators, he's working with engineers on both sides of the fence to understand how do we develop these 2026 cars - where do we try to get the power? Where do we try to get the downforce? So that's how central to the project he is."