Max Verstappen has warned Formula One is on the brink of being ruined and claimed this season’s “painful” new rules will “come back to bite the sport on the a***”.
Verstappen, 28, has been deeply critical about the regulations which place an onus on drivers managing battery power as well as using a boost button to overtake.
The four-time world champion broke down from sixth place following an engine failure with 10 laps to go in China to cap a dreadful weekend after he finished outside of the points in Saturday’s sprint race.
And in an extraordinary fresh outburst, Verstappen said: “It is terrible, and if someone likes this, then you really don’t know what racing is about.
“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 not about being upset because of where I am. It is fundamentally flawed. It is painful. It will eventually ruin the sport, and it is going to come back to bite them in the a***.”
A press conference where Verstappen warned F1 bosses about the 2026 regulations three years ago has recently resurfaced on social media.
And Verstappen continued: “You could have seen this coming from a long time ago, so I don’t know what I need to discuss (with Formula One).
“They should have listened in 2023. Hopefully, it is a lesson for the future so that this doesn’t happen again.
“You have to be a bit careful with how you say things. We are talking about it. And they understand where we are coming from as drivers.
“Some, of course, will say it’s great because they are winning, which is fair enough, and when you have an advantage, why would you give that up?
“But if you just speak to most of the drivers, it’s not what we like, I don’t think it’s what the real F1 fans like.
“It’s political. Some people feel they have the advantage now. They want to use that. I get that and I’m not stupid, but at the same time, it is just not good for the sport. Hopefully we can get rid of this as soon as possible.”
Mercedes have mastered the regulations – with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli recording one win apiece so far.
Lewis Hamilton (r) celebrates his first podium for Ferrari with race winner Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton, who is in his 20th season, finished third in Shanghai following a yo-yo battle with Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc. The Italian team have emerged as Mercedes’ closest challengers.
And Hamilton said: “The cars are easier to follow and much better than past years. You can get close, not lose too much downforce, and I think it is the best racing I have ever experienced in Formula One.”
Hamilton has been revitalised by the smaller, lighter, nimbler generation of cars which resemble a throwback to his glory years in the sport which yielded a record-equalling seven championships.
And the 41-year-old said: “I definitely feel like I am back, both mentally and physically, to my best. But I still feel there is room to improve.
“I started this voyage, this dream of moving to Ferrari and being on the top step with them.
“This podium has taken longer than I had hoped. But after a difficult year, to be able to develop and work on this season’s car gives me huge pride.
“Training last winter was the most intense I have ever had, and that goes hand-in-hand with being older and it takes longer to recover.
“However, I have managed to pull on these new tools. I decided on Christmas Day how I was going to start this season, and what I was going to do mentally, and I am going to continue to tweak that and there is more to come.
“A first win is more in sight than ever before and last year it could not have been further from view. I really do believe in everyone at Maranello and that it (Mercedes’ advantage) is not an impossible feat to overcome.
“I know it is not exactly where we want to be but we have a great platform to work off and we have to be full gas.”