Monza and the 'gentle throttle' puzzle: Verstappen accepts a painful weekend

The silence in the Monza press room before Max Verstappen's first answer was worth more than any telemetry data. Asked about his approach to the weekend, the four-time champion did not mention slipstreams or tyres. He simply said: "We have to be gentle with the throttle pedal." For a driver once defined by late braking and controlled aggression, that phrase revealed the scale of the challenge. The 2026 regulations have introduced a 4 MJ energy harvesting limit, forcing drivers to manage energy carefully on a circuit famous for long straights. Simulation data from McLaren's Oscar Piastri shows top speeds will be much lower than in previous years. Red Bull may have the strongest internal combustion engine according to FIA ADUO data, but Verstappen remains sceptical because the team's energy management weakness is structural. The self-learning power unit algorithms add another layer of risk: small throttle deviations can cause major deployment problems, as Piastri experienced at Spa. Verstappen has accepted the season is lost and is already focusing on 2026. Monza will be less about courage and more about discipline — knowing when to lift off the throttle. The real story will be told through middle-sector times and energy traces, not through the final podium.