Jonathan Wheatley Exposes the Real Reason Behind Max Verstappen’s “Mario Kart” Claim over 2026 Cars

Former Red Bull employee Jonathan Wheatley has revealed the real reasons behind Max Verstappen's intense criticism of 2026 regulations.

Jonathan Wheatley Exposes the Real Reason Behind Max Verstappen’s “Mario Kart” Claim over 2026 Cars

Jonathan Wheatley with Max Verstappen (via Red Bull)

In Short
  • Max Verstappen has criticized the 2026 Formula 1 regulations, comparing driving to "Mario Kart."
  • Jonathan Wheatley acknowledged Verstappen's frustrations and noted ongoing discussions with the FIA for regulatory changes.
  • Ex-F1 driver Ralf Schumacher highlighted the difference between Verstappen's public criticism and Michael Schumacher's team loyalty.

Max Verstappen has openly criticized the 2026 regulations of Formula 1 since the beginning of the season. The Dutchman is suffering from one of the worst starts to his career in the pinnacle of motorsport. As such, Verstappen noted that driving in F1 now felt like Mario Kart. Now, former Red Bull employee Jonathan Wheatley has opened up on this and revealed why the Dutchman is forced to speak out like this.

Despite a decent start to the Chinese GP, Max Verstappen suffered from a DNF in the race and walked out of the weekend without scoring any points. Moreover, Verstappen seems to be the only one at Red Bull who has to speak about the regulations during every interview. No other personnel within Milton Keynes are aware of the reasons behind the struggle right now.

Responding to Max Verstappen’s ‘Mario Kart’ claims, Jonathan Wheatley pointed out that there were some battles worth watching at the Chinese GP. Notably, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s battle for the P3 finish was one of the highlights of the race. However, Wheatley accepted that Verstappen’s claims were understandable because that was where he found himself in terms of competition.

Further, Jonathan Wheatley stated that the teams were openly engaging with the FIA to bring about changes to the regulations. Wheatley revealed that many changes were tested during the final day of the pre-season testing in Bahrain ahead of the commencement of the 2026 season. As such, the former Red Bull employee asserted that the teams were willing to work with the FIA to put an end to Max Verstappen and many other drivers’ miseries.

There are battles going on in the field that I think are hugely encouraging. I think you can understand Max’s comments and that’s because of where he finds himself. We’ve been open and engaging with the FIA. We tried various solutions to that on the last day of Bahrain testing to see what the result would be. I think that shows you everything, really, that we’re open, we’re working with the FIA.

Jonathan Wheatley said, as reported by motorsport.com.

Ex-F1 driver compares Michael Schumacher to Max Verstappen amid intense 2026 criticism

Max Verstappen has probably been one of the biggest critics of the 2026 regulations. The Dutchman might even exit the sport if his experience under the new regulations does not improve. Meanwhile, Verstappen has also openly criticized Red Bull for its shortcomings as well. Upon this, ex-F1 driver Ralf Schumacher compares the 28-year-old with the seven-time champion Michael Schumacher.

Max Verstappen (via Red Bull Content Pool)
Max Verstappen (via Red Bull Content Pool)

Ralf Schumacher drew an example of Michael Schumacher and how the legend differs from Max Verstappen in terms of opinion. Schumacher recalled that Michael always stood with the team and did not criticize them, as compared to Verstappen. The German clarified that the team and driver needed to sort out the matter from the inside.

What is very important now, and this is also the big difference with my brother, is that he always stood behind his team and did not bring out criticism, Internally, of course, you have to be clear. I heard that everyone was on a plane together and had a big consultation. What is important now is that Laurent Mekies shows that he is not only a good leader, but also fills gaps by bringing in new, strong personnel. 

Ralf Schumacher said, as reported by RacingNews365.

Certainly, the 2026 season is off to a rocky start for many of the teams and drivers. The likes of Mercedes and Ferrari are enjoying much better performance compared to the others. As such, they are seemingly content with the regulations. Regardless, a majority of the grid feels that the regulations are overly complex and need to be changed before they ruin the essence of Formula 1.

Read More: Ralf Schumacher Warns F1 2026 Rules Could RUIN Real Racing