Max Verstappen has not held back in his criticism of the new Formula One rules this season after he retired at the Chinese Grand Prix.

F1 Chinese Grand Prix 2026
Max Verstappen hasn’t had the best start to the 2026 F1 season (Image: Getty)

Max Verstappen’s brother-in-law, Nelson Piquet Junior, has insisted that the Red Bull racer would not be as critical of the new regulations if he was driving a Mercedes. The four-time Forumla 1 champion has slammed the rule changes since they were introduced.

After finishing sixth in Australia, Verstappen retired in China last week with an ERS issue. Red Bull are already losing ground on Mercedes in the engineer championship, with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli starting the season strong.

The 2026 rules state that nearly 50% of the car’s power must come from its battery pack, which will create racing situation where drivers can gain a significant advantage by pressing a boost button.

“It’s still terrible,” Verstappen said last week. “I don’t know, if someone likes this, then you really don’t know what racing is about. It’s not fun at all. It’s playing Mario Kart. This is not racing.”

Much has been made of Verstappen’s comments and Piquet has waded in by claiming the Dutchman would feel much better about the rules if he was racing for Mercedes.

F1 Grand Prix Of China

Max Verstappen was forced to retire at the Chinese Grand Prix (Image: Getty)

Speaking on the Pelas Pistas podcast, he said: “Max is like that.

“He wants to have the best car. If you asked him which championship he preferred – the one won at the final race or the one wrapped up five races early – he would pick the one secured with five races to spare. That is simply the way he is.

“It is natural for him to complain in this situation, but if he were driving the Mercedes, he would be very quiet and would not be saying anything at all. I am absolutely certain of that.”

Verstappen has been heavily linked with Mercedes previously. However, with Russell and Antonelli starting the new season in style, it remains to be seen whether a move will materialise in 2027.