Ever since pre-season started, Verstappen has been an outspoken critic of the new rules, calling them 'anti-racing' and 'Formula E on steroids,' and at Melbourne, where he finished P6, his mood hardly improved.

The four time world champion appeared completely fed up already with F1 2026, saying it was "going to be a long year," and even flirted with an exit from the sport.

Speaking to the media, including GPblog, Verstappen was asked whether drivers who work more on simulators will be better at managing the 2026 cars' energy levels, on which he took the opportunity to throw more digs at the new regulations.

Verstappen said: "I found a cheaper solution. I swapped the simulator for my Nintendo Switch and, yeah, practicing a bit of Mario Kart, actually.

On a more serious note, Verstappen was asked whether his lack of enjoyment was to do with the speed of the 2026 cars in the context that he will be taking part in the Nurburgring 24 hours.

"Not really, because, I mean, then the pleasure would be still very high here, right? Because it's the highest speed.

Meanwhile, in China, things are unlikely to get much better for Aston Martin.

Fernando Alonso has said he is set for "another difficult weekend" with Aston Martin unable to make many improvements prior to the Chinese GP following their dire start to the season in Melbourne.

Want to stay up-to-date with what happens in the F1 paddock? Then GPblog's F1 Paddock Update video is the perfect way to do it. Subscribe to GPblog's YouTube channel and turn on notifications to never miss the latest episodes.