Verstappen's disdain for the 2026 regulations is well-known by this point. At Bahrain testing, the four-time world champion claimed they were "anti-racing" and "Formula E on steroids," and his criticism has only grown harsher upon the season start.

Capping off a poor race weekend in Shanghai, mostly battling traditional midfield competitors, Verstappen retired on Lap 45 of the Chinese GP with an ERS failure, before launching another scathing criticism of F1's new 'Mario Kart' rules.

For Steiner, however, Verstappen's criticism is mostly down to the fact the Dutchman is not competing at the front, emphasising his belief that the Red Bull driver "throws the toys out the pram" if things aren't going his way.

Speaking to Talksport, he said: "Max is not happy because his car is not where he likes it to be.

The former Haas team principal's attention turned to the 2026 racing more generally, sharing his belief that the sport will continue to develop on what has been a "pretty good" start already.

Elsewhere, in a column published in The Telegraph, F1 technical expert Gary Anderson said he fully agreed with Verstappen’s perspective, arguing that changes are needed both in the short and long term.

Anderson believes F1 is shifting too far towards entertainment, and so has offered two potential fixes to steer the sport into the right direction.

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