'I'm not an idiot' - Max Verstappen's defiant response to poor starts

Max Verstappen, NLS, 2025, generic, Nordschleife — Photo: © IMAGO

Chinese Grand Prix

'I'm not an idiot' - Max Verstappen's defiant response to poor starts

Max Verstappen could be in for a very long year at Red Bull

By Kerry Violet.

Tuesday 17 March 2026 21:00

Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen issued a defiant response after yet another poor race start at the Chinese Grand Prix.

The Dutchman has been highly critical of the sport's new era for much of the 2026 season so far, and he and Red Bull have not enjoyed the latest regulation changes.

After two grands prix and the first sprint of the season at this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix, Mercedes have emerged as the team to beat, whilst Ferrari are hot on the heels of the Silver Arrows.

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But last year's championship protagonists Red Bull and McLaren currently look to be in no fit shape to bring the fight to the top two constructors, with Verstappen growing increasingly frustrated.

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Verstappen stumped by Red Bull problem

In Shanghai on Sunday, his difficulties with the new starting procedure saw the champion drop from P8 all the way down to P14 as cars rushed to overtake him on both sides of the track.

As if Verstappen's grand prix start wasn't bad enough, he then received a devastating message from Red Bull over team radio, calling him in to retire the car on lap 46, continuing his disappointing 2026 run.

In conversation with French outlet Canal+ following his DNF at the Chinese GP, Verstappen confirmed that he had suffered the same issue with his starting procedure once again, saying: "Yeah, same problem, different procedure, yeah same problem. I have no words for that, I don't know why it keeps happening.

"That of course complicates the race alot but even then, at one point I thought I might make it to let's say our normal position, a chance to be behind the Mercedes and the Ferrari cars, but we still have no pace so yeah, just massive degradation. There's just not much you can do, I'm just a passenger in the car and I'm just driven by what the tyres give me."

The reporter then put it to Verstappen that it was curious that he didn't have an explanation to his starting procedure problems considering the other three cars using the Red Bull power unit didn't appear to suffer the same struggle with the launch.

When asked if he had compared his own data to that of his team-mate and the two Racing Bulls drivers, Verstappen responded: "Yeah but I mean I'm not doing anything wrong. It’s just the engine not lifting. I’m not an idiot."

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Chinese Grand Prix Shanghai International Circuit