Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has spoken out on the criticism he has received from former drivers, with the four-time champion believing this negativity stems from the pundits not understanding the 2026 regulations.
Talking with De Telegraaf during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, after being shown recent comments from 1996 world champion Damon Hill, the Dutchman gave his opinion on why, in his eyes, former drivers can give “very strange answers” when they are being interviewed.
“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 was quick to add that it “doesn’t apply to everyone, but it does apply to a number of them”.
Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris have both backed his opinions on the regulations, but Verstappen said he isn’t looking for allies. Instead, he was simply giving his opinion on what he’d seen so far this year.
“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 who is now winning again
Verstappen has been one of the loudest critics of the new regulations starting this season. The change brought new power units with a much larger reliance on electrical power. While he admitted considering retirement from F1, he eventually extended his contract with the Milton Keynes outfit until 2030 only two months ago .
And this was well timed, as the driver has just scored back-to-back wins in Malaysia and Singapore. He sits fourth in the drivers’ standings with 221 points, just eight behind Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton.
The United States Grand Prix takes place from 23 to 25 October.
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