Max Verstappen didn’t hold back on Sunday. After pulling out of the Chinese Grand Prix with an engine failure, the four-time world champion launched a scathing attack on Formula 1’s new regulations, calling them a “joke” and warning they could end up destroying the sport he has dominated for years.
The Red Bull driver’s race ended on lap 46 when he slowed and crawled back into the pits, leaving him unclassified in the field of 15 finishers. It was another miserable chapter in what has been a dismal start to the season for the Dutchman, who has gone from a near-invincible champion to a scrapping man.
Read the full article
“For me it’s a joke,” Verstappen told reporters bluntly. “I would say the same if I were winning races because I care about the racing product. The new rules are fundamentally flawed.”
A season to forget
27-year-old, 71-time race winner, trying to adapt to the new F1 engine formula, which features a significantly increased electric element and requires much better energy management from drivers. It’s a racing style that sits uneasily with Verstappen’s instinctive, flat approach.
His frustration grew throughout the season. He started the Chinese Grand Prix from 20th on the grid after crashing in qualifying at the previous race in Australia, fought his way through the pack and then dropped from eighth to 14th in Saturday’s sprint before finishing ninth out of the points in the sprint itself. Sunday only made the situation worse.
But Verstappen’s interest goes beyond his own results. He warned that F1’s bid to attract new audiences by making races more overtaking-friendly risks alienating the sport’s core identity.
“I hope they don’t think like that because it will eventually destroy the sport. It will come and bite them back in the ass,” he said. “Maybe some fans like it, but they don’t understand racing.”
Another view from the Mercedes garage
Not everyone sees it that way. While Verstappen seethed in the Red Bull garage, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was celebrating a big day for his team. Teenager Kimi Antonelli takes his first F1 victory, George Russell second and Lewis Hamilton third completed the podium for Ferrari, a result which Wolff praised for the quality of the new era.
“Sometimes we get nostalgic for the good old days, but I think the product is good in its own right,” Wolff said. “The vast majority, across all demographics, like the sport right now.”
However, he reserved a measure of sympathy for his former driver’s situation.
“Max is really in a horror show. For someone like him, a full-on attack guy, it’s hard to deal with and digest,” Wolff added.
For Verstappen, the frustration is clearly about more than just poor results. He sees that something is being lost in the sport he loves, and he doesn’t shut up about it.
– The end
Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
15 March 2026 18:33 IST
