Max Verstappen has launched a blistering attack on Formula One's 2026 regulations, comparing the racing to 'Mario Kart' and warning the sport is being ruined. The four-time world champion, who suffered an engine failure in China, said the rules forcing drivers to manage battery power and use a boost button for overtaking are 'a joke'.
Verstappen, 28, finished outside the points in Saturday's sprint and retired from the main race with 10 laps to go. In a fresh outburst, he 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.'
The Dutchman claimed the regulations are 'fundamentally flawed' and will 'come back to bite them in the a***'. He noted that drivers had warned about the issues as far back as 2023, and said: 'Hopefully, it is a lesson for the future so that this doesn’t happen again.'
Mercedes have mastered the new rules, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli each winning a race. Lewis Hamilton, now at Ferrari, finished third in China and offered a contrasting view, saying: 'The cars are easier to follow... I think it is the best racing I have ever experienced in Formula One.'
