Max Verstappen brands F1 2026 racing ‘a joke’ as he launches fiercest attack yet

Max Verstappen has bluntly stated his belief that if anyone is a fan of the new F1 2026 regulations, then they “really don’t know what racing is”.

Verstappen called this ruleset “fundamentally flawed” and the racing a “joke”, as he launched his fiercest attack yet against Formula 1’s new era.

Max Verstappen labels F1 2026 regulations ‘a joke’

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It was a frustrating Chinese Grand Prix race weekend for Verstappen. Like in the Sprint, a poor getaway saw him drop through the field on Sunday, and he ultimately retired due to what Verstappen described as an ERS cooling issue.

“It was expected, but again, the start of course was a big problem, the same as yesterday,” Verstappen began, as he reflected on his race.

“The rest of the race was, again, the same as yesterday. Just a lot of graining. Can’t push, terrible pace, terrible balance, you know, like yesterday. Very bad weekend.”

Asked if the same issue is behind all of his difficulties off the line this season, stretching back to the Melbourne season opener, Verstappen clarified: “So I had no battery in Melbourne, and here, the two problems were the same.

“I just have no power.

“As soon as I release the clutch, the engine is not all there.”

Formula 1’s revamped 2026 rules are now two races old. Verstappen has been a consistent critic, especially when it comes to the role of the beefed up batteries.

Energy management is now a critical factor behind performance, and overtaking, with the boost and overtakes modes.

Continuing his rejection of the new rules, Verstappen said after the Chinese GP that “it’s not good for the sport”.

He added: “You could have seen this coming, I think, a long time ago.

“Everyone, of course, tries to always prepare the car in the best possible way, so I don’t know really what I need to discuss. We already have a lot of work ourselves.”

Verstappen applied heavy pressure on McLaren’s Lando Norris in Melbourne, despite starting from the back. In China, Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren had a clear advantage over Red Bull.

On the Red Bull RB22’s current difficulties, Verstappen said: “It changes a bit every weekend at the moment.

“Here this weekend, it was definitely the biggest one was the car.”

He was asked whether Red Bull’s continued development of the RB21 – while rivals had already switched focus to 2026 – partly explains why the Milton Keynes squad is slightly off the pace at the start of this new era.

“No, because then you can say the same from ’21 to ’22, and we were definitely very quick in ’22.”

Ahead of the China race weekend, Verstappen’s former teammate, Sergio Perez, had spoken out against a “very fake” feel to the racing in 2026, which is now heavily influenced by battery charge.

But, Verstappen was told that an opinion has formed in some parts of the paddock that the racing seemed a little less artificial this weekend.

“If someone likes this, then you really don’t know what racing is,” Verstappen bluntly retorted.

“It’s not fun at all. It’s like Mario Kart. This is not racing.”

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At the time of retirement, Verstappen had been trying to keep pace with Oliver Bearman ahead in the Haas, while Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was closing in from behind.

“We were slower this weekend, so we were fighting Haas and Alpine the whole race,” Verstappen continued. “Of course, some other cars, but look at the racing, boost to pass, and then you run out of battery the next straight, they boost past you again. For me, it’s just a joke.”

But, regardless of how bigger role the battery power did or did not have, the Chinese GP was a race full of overtaking action throughout the pack.

That included at the front, as Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, plus the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, battled for the lead.

Hamilton and Leclerc, in particular, put on a thrilling scrap for the final podium place.

“It’s just Kimi or George winning, right,” Verstappen countered. “So it’s not really back and forth.

“And miles ahead of the field.

“It’s just that Ferrari sometimes has these good starts, that they push themselves in front, and then it takes a few laps to sort it all out.

“But, like I said, this has nothing to do with racing, and I would say the same if I would be winning races, because I care about the racing product.

“It’s not about being upset with where I am, because I’m actually fighting even more now. You get to understand what you have to do and what it is about even more.

“But for me, it’s a joke.”

Verstappen concluded that the current ruleset is “fundamentally flawed”.

F1 2026 resumes in just under two weeks’ time with the Japanese Grand Prix.

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