Verstappen’s criticism of new F1 rules gets cut through by ex-team boss

The former Haas F1 team principal, in his assessment of the criticism by the Red Bull Racing driver, admitted to understanding Verstappen’s concerns.

"I understand Max's criticism because there's such a big change. And we know Max is a racer. He'd prefer to drive a V10 or V12 engine – like in the old days. But Max is also a racing driver who can be fast anywhere. And as soon as he realises that he can win again, he'll get used to the new technology,” Steiner explained via Sports.de.

The 60-year-old added that Verstappen will likely find satisfaction once he can compete for championships under the current regulations.

"He'll be happy to fight for the world title. That's what he wants, and he's the best driver at the moment. As a driver, you have to rethink your approach with this new energy recovery system and invent a completely new strategy. It's simply different. We humans don't like big changes. But as soon as he starts winning, he'll be happy with the car,” he added.

The former team principal, however, expressed his delight with the new regulations, describing them as exciting and stressing how they have helped engineers reorient themselves and challenged them to innovate.

“The regulations are very exciting. And when you see that so many intelligent people, good engineers, have to reorient themselves, that's really cool. They have to reinvent themselves, and something good always comes out of that,” Steiner concluded.

Verstappen has been one of the most vocal drivers about the new regulations. The four-time world champion, in his scathing assessment, compared the new regulations to Formula E cars on steroids.

Earlier, Bernie Ecclestone expressed major concerns about the new Formula 1 regulations.

The 95-year-old, in his assessment, warned against F1 losing its identity. Ecclestone also pointed out that such changes could cause the sport to lose some of its fans.