“It’s Just a Joke!” Max Verstappen Sounds Alarm Over Authenticity in Modern F1 Racing

Max Verstappen hasn’t stopped in his tirade against the new regulations in 2026. The Dutchman is suffering from one of the worst starts to a season in his career. To make matters worse, Verstappen suffered from a DNF at the Chinese GP. As such, the four-time champion now labels the rules as nothing short of a joke.

Since the early testing days of the 2026 regulations, the teams and drivers raised skeptical remarks about the complexity of the new rules. The likes of Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, and others talked about how overtaking will be difficult. Moreover, the increased dependency on the electrical component in the power unit is further making racing more complex.

The Chinese GP was a stark reminder for Max Verstappen and Co. about the increased problems under the new regulations. Verstappen even hit out at the fans who pretended to like the new rules, claiming that they did not understand racing in Formula 1. Now, the 28-year-old has shared his disappointment from Milton Keynes’ mediocre results, especially at the Chinese GP.

Max Verstappen pointed out that Red Bull was slower this weekend, and the problems from the Australian GP continued even in China. Verstappen revealed that he was fighting Haas and Alpine. Further, he criticized the boost mode and how he lost all speed once he lost the battery in the car. In the very next straight, the rivals were able to boost past him on track. Ultimately, the four-time champion asserted that it was all a joke.

We were slower this weekend, so we were fighting Haas and Alpine the whole race, Of course, some other cars, yes… I mean, look at the racing, we are boosting pass, then you run out of battery. The next straight, they boost past you again, For me, it’s just a joke.

Max Verstappen said, as reported by RacingNews365.

Ex-F1 driver calls out for Max Verstappen to be “shown the door”

Max Verstappen and Lando Norris have been very critical of the 2026 F1 regulations. Though these claims are understandable, they hold a very influential voice in Formula 1, especially as championship winners. As such, amid constant criticism from the drivers, ex-F1 driver, Juan Pablo Montoya has called them out and asked for them to be the shown the door for such intense disrespect to the sport.

Juan Pablo Montoya claimed that Formula 1 needed to follow what the sports in the United States did to people disrespecting the sport. Montoya reckons that they need to be shown the door. The Spaniard added that the drivers also need to be penalized if they disrespect the sport further. For now, Max Verstappen has managed to control his emotions while talking to the media and avoid any unecessary penalties.

At some point, Formula 1 needs to do what the sports world in the United States does: for people who don’t respect the sport, there’s the door, They can leave or get a fine, so they truly learn to respect what they’re doing. That’s what I would do.

Juan Pablo Montoya told AS Colombia.

Certainly, Formula 1 must consider bringing about changes to the regulations amid constant backlash. The sport risks losing its core audience and drivers if the rules continue to provide difficulties. For now, no changes are planned to the regulations, with the sport closely monitoring the situation. The spectators are having a hard time understanding all the new components in the power unit, especially the electrical component.

Read More: Jacques Villeneuve Blasts Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc For “Destroying Ferrari’s Race” in Chinese GP

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