F1 star Max Verstappen ‘fed up’ after being proved right as future hangs in the balance

Verstappen in blue Red Bull tee and orange cap holding FIA and F1 mic looking smug — Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen ‘fed up’ after being proved right as F1 future hangs in the balance

He's been a vocal critic

Simmey Hannifin Donaldson F1 Editor

Motorsport journalist covering F1 since 2024

Monday 17 August 2026 09:45

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Four-time world champion Max Verstappen has been a vocal critic of F1's new regulations, but the Red Bull star says he is 'fed up' of talking about them as he considers his next steps in the sport.

Ahead of the 2026 campaign, F1 had a huge overhaul with new aerodynamic and power unit regulations having been introduced simultaneously, and they have come in for a lot of criticism since.

The majority of that has been directed at the new power units, which now see an F1 car's power split 50/50 between electric and internal combustion engine.

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We've seen yo-yo overtaking, drivers suddenly losing power down the straights as their batteries run low and huge variations in straight-line performance at different parts of the track. In essence, the sport has become far too dependent on energy management and deployment, as opposed to pure racing.

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Max Verstappen 'fed up' of criticising F1 regulations

It's fair to say Verstappen hates the new rules, describing this season's racing as 'very artificial' and comparing it to playing Mario Kart at different stages of the year. The four-time champion had also predicted these problems well in advance of 2026.

In fact, Verstappen hates the new rules so much that many even speculated that he might even retire from the sport. That looks unlikely to happen at this stage, but it is a fear that still exists among his fans.

"I have spoken my mind about these regulations already for a long time. And in the beginning most people were saying, ‘he's complaining, he should shut up,'" Verstappen told the media, via GPBlog.

"I have to say that the last few races more and more people are seeing the same thing that I could see coming already a long time. It's not about me not winning anymore, it's just because I care about the product because I've said it many, many times. And at one point that's also enough.

“But of course, when people keep asking, well then, yeah, maybe it's not appreciated always."

Max Verstappen has been a vocal critic of the new F1 regulations / Credit: Imago

Verstappen says that he has been banging the criticism drum so much, partly in response to those who have been doing the opposite, but now he says that he is fed up.

"I'm just speaking my mind because you see certain things coming and then sometimes people say ‘Yeah, but this was a great race.’ I said yeah, but it's not really realistic the way we are racing," he added.

"And then you arrive to some tracks, and yeah, you're driving on not a lot of horsepower for F1 standards, and it's a little bit painful, which, yeah, I could see coming already for years.

"So it's then, of course, not the most exciting. But at one point, I'm also a little bit just fed up with repeating myself because it's already hard enough just having to drive it."

Verstappen's F1 future hangs in the balance

Verstappen's comments came ahead of F1's summer break, during which his future in the sport remains unclear.

While he looks set to remain in F1, just where he is driving next season remains a mystery, with the four-time world champion having declined the opportunity to shut down speculation over a Red Bull exit at the Belgian Grand Prix.

As of the summer break, he sits sixth in the drivers' standings, meaning that the highly publicised exit clause in his Red Bull contract is now active, with McLaren the team most strongly linked.

Reports from the Netherlands suggest a decision on his future could come at the Dutch Grand Prix next weekend, where he will have his last home race in the sport as Zandvoort moves off the F1 calendar from next season.

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Simmey Hannifin Donaldson - F1 Editor

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