Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has responded to criticism from former Formula 1 drivers, suggesting their negative assessments of the 2026 regulations stem from a lack of technical understanding. Speaking to De Telegraaf during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend after being shown recent remarks by 1996 world champion Damon Hill, the four-time champion explained why he believes some ex-drivers deliver “very strange answers” in media interviews.
“Do you know what the problem is with a lot of ex-drivers?” Verstappen said. “They don’t study the new regulations at all. So they don’t know exactly how the engine runs and exactly how it works. Then they get asked about it on television, and sometimes very strange answers come out.”
He qualified the statement by noting it “doesn’t apply to everyone, but it does apply to a number of them.”
While both Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris have echoed Verstappen’s concerns regarding the regulatory framework, the Dutch driver insisted he is not seeking allies. Rather, he maintained he is simply voicing observations from the current season.
“I just say what I think, what is wrong in my eyes and what could be improved,” he continued. “Sometimes I get criticised for that by certain people, or they say they don’t understand what I mean. But in the end, it will become clear whether something is good or bad.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, George Russell, Mercedes
Photo by: Michael Potts / LAT images via Getty Images
A Critic Returning to Winning Ways
Verstappen has been among the most vocal critics of the new regulations introduced this season, which mandate power units with significantly greater reliance on electrical energy. Although he previously acknowledged contemplating retirement from Formula 1, he ultimately extended his contract with the Milton Keynes-based team through 2030 just two months ago.
The timing has proven fortuitous, as the driver has since claimed consecutive victories in Malaysia and Singapore. He currently sits fourth in the drivers’ championship with 221 points, a mere eight points behind Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton.
The United States Grand Prix is scheduled for 23–25 October.
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