Verstappen says new F1 will ‘ruin the sport’

Mar.16 (GMM) Max Verstappen has delivered his most scathing attack yet on Formula 1’s 2026 regulations, warning they will “eventually ruin the sport” – as McLaren’s catastrophic Chinese GP double retirement left the reigning champions’ title defence in tatters.

“It is terrible, and if someone likes this, then you really don’t know what racing is about,” Verstappen said.

“It is not fun at all. It is Mario Kart. This is not racing. We are boosting past, then you run out of battery, and they boost back past you again. For me, it is just a joke.

“I would say the same if I was winning because I care about the racing product. It is fundamentally flawed. It is painful. It will eventually ruin the sport, and it is going to come back to bite them.”

He was pointed about what he saw as the “politics” at play. “Some, of course, will say it’s great because they are winning, which is fair enough – when you have an advantage, why would you give that up?

“They should have listened in 2023. Hopefully it is a lesson for the future.”

Toto Wolff, whose Mercedes team have comfortably won all races in 2026 so far, was sympathetic to Verstappen’s personal plight while defending the show.

“Max is in a real horror movie right now,” the Austrian said. “If you look at his onboard from qualifying, it’s just terrible to drive. But if you’re sitting in front of a TV, even Max would say the battle up front was interesting.”

Wolff pointed to packed grandstands and social media engagement as evidence the product is working. “All the indicators and all the data show that people are enjoying it,” he said.

Lewis Hamilton, who took third for Ferrari, went further. “It’s the best racing I’ve ever experienced in Formula 1,” the seven-time world champion said – adding that the biggest crowd he had ever seen in Shanghai, including a grandstand closed for nearly 20 years, told its own story.

“When we were doing the drivers’ parade and I saw it completely full, I was so shocked,” he said.

Charles Leclerc also pushed back against the prevailing negativity. “I enjoy it,” the Monegasque said. “From the car, it doesn’t feel so artificial.”

He acknowledged that lifting the throttle in qualifying remains a concern. “There are still a number of things we need to look at. I feel like we’re missing something there – but I know the FIA is working on it.”

As for McLaren, the reigning champions’ miserable week had begun with team principal Andrea Stella publicly questioning whether Mercedes had shared sufficient engine information – before swiftly backtracking in China.

“We are grateful for the cooperation,” Stella said in a media briefing. “It’s understandable that they have more direct information.”

The weekend then went from awkward to catastrophic. Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri failed to start the race with electronic failures. “I’ve never had that in my eight years in Formula 1,” said world champion Norris.

Piastri, who has yet to complete a single grand prix lap this season, resorted to gallow humour. “It’s been quite a while since I’ve been able to watch two Formula 1 races from the sidelines,” the Australian smiled.

Stella apologised and promised answers. “This is very frustrating for all of us. The simultaneous occurrence is a truly unusual coincidence. We’re sending the faulty parts to Mercedes – we need to understand these problems in order to attack in Japan.”

Ralf Schumacher called it a sobering start to the year for many.

“McLaren had the bad luck of not being able to start the race at all, Piastri is without points after two races, and Red Bull is having major difficulties,” the former Williams driver said. “Everything has been turned upside down.”

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