Formula 1, Sportrik Media - Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has criticised four-time world champion Max Verstappen for repeatedly voicing frustration over the new Formula 1 regulations introduced for the 2026 season.
Since first driving the latest car during pre-season testing, Verstappen has openly questioned the direction of the new rules, which feature a 50-50 split between combustion engine power and electrical energy in the new generation power units. The Dutch driver initially described the new era as “Formula E on steroids”.
His criticism continued across the opening two rounds of the championship in Australia and China. Verstappen went as far as comparing the racing to “Mario Kart” and warned that the current rules could eventually “bite Formula 1 in the ass”.
On track, the early results of the season have also proven challenging for the Red Bull Racing driver. Verstappen finished sixth in the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park before placing ninth in the sprint race in Shanghai. He later retired from the Chinese Grand Prix due to a failure in the Energy Recovery System (ERS) of his RB22.
The race in Shanghai also saw an unusually high number of retirements, with seven cars failing to reach the finish. Even more notable was the fact that both McLaren cars driven by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were unable to start the race due to separate electrical issues affecting their MCL40 machines.
However, Steiner insisted that such problems should not be blamed on the new regulations. According to him, the difficulties encountered by several teams are more related to technical execution rather than the rule changes themselves.
“If a car doesn’t start, like the two McLarens not starting, you cannot blame the regulations because most of the other cars started,” said Guenther Steiner.
Steiner also addressed Verstappen’s situation specifically, suggesting that the driver’s frustration may be linked to the current competitiveness of the Red Bull car rather than the regulations themselves.
“Max is not happy because his car is not where he likes it to be,” Steiner explained.
The former Haas boss pointed out that Red Bull is currently undergoing a major technical transition after producing its own power unit for the first time through the Red Bull Ford Powertrains project.
Such a significant change, Steiner argued, naturally requires time for engineers to fully understand and optimise the new technology.
“We need to be fair because Red Bull did their own power unit for the first time, and it’s such advanced technology that it takes time for the engineers to get used to it,” he said.
Despite the early challenges, Steiner admitted he has been impressed by how quickly new engine manufacturers have adapted to the new regulations, including Red Bull Ford and Audi.
At the same time, he suggested that Verstappen can sometimes react strongly when circumstances do not favour him.
“Sometimes Max throws the toys out of the pram quite quickly if things don’t go his way,” Steiner commented.
Overall, Steiner believes the new generation of Formula 1 technology shows promise, even though teams are still learning how to extract the best performance from the new systems.
According to him, change often triggers criticism in motorsport, particularly when drivers and teams are forced to adapt to unfamiliar technology.
“It’s a new technology and all the teams are still learning what is going on,” Steiner said.
He concluded by emphasising that, despite the ongoing debate surrounding the regulations, the most important aspect remains the quality of racing on track.
“The racing was good, and that’s the most important thing.”
Photo Gallery
Read Also
Toto Wolff warns the hype in Italy after Kimi Antonelli’s first Formula 1 victory in the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix could create pressure on the young Mercedes driver.
Sportrik Media analysis of the 2026 F1 season start featuring Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari revival, criticism of Max Verstappen, and rising rookies.
Lewis Hamilton says he feels back to his best after securing his first Ferrari podium at the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix and warns rivals more performance is coming.
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!