India, June 11 -- Did F1 Made A U-Turn Because Of Max Verstappen?

The short answer? Absolutely. The established order on the grid was shaken to its core by the four-time world champion directly threatening to ditch the sport. Max Verstappen had been a vocal, relentless critic of the proposed technical direction, aiming for the severely limited hybrid configurations by labelling them "anti-racing" and "dangerous" due to the extreme speed differentials on straights.

Last month, Verstappen made it clear to those in power that staying in Formula 1 would be a mental challenge he wouldn't be able to endure if the simulation predictions of drivers being forced to downshift on straights to charge the batteries actually manifested.

While it com...