Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has blamed Red Bull’s performance and reliability struggles for Max Verstappen’s latest complaint about the 2026 Formula 1 regulations.
After a difficult Chinese Grand Prix, which saw his third pointless race in four seasons, Verstappen was quick to blast the new regulations, claiming the changes were likely to ‘ruin the sport’.
These comments from the four-time world champion aren’t new. They began back in testing, when the Dutchman likened F1’s new changes to Formula E and argued that it was less about a driver’s skill and more about energy management.
Unsurprisingly, Mercedes and Ferrari have pushed back against the criticism and supported the new regulations. So far, the two teams have found themselves on the podium in the opening rounds.
Wolff acknowledges the criticism but believes that Verstappen’s hatred comes largely from his own position on the grid.
“I think Max is in a horror show,” Wolff said after the race in Shanghai.
“When you look at the onboards when he is in qualifying yesterday, it’s just horrendous to drive, and you can see that.”
Yet Wolff reminded everyone that each team is different, and overall, overtaking and grid closeness have taken a massive step forward compared to 2025. In Australia, F1 went from 45 to 120 overtakes. Shanghai improved similarly from 90 to over 120.
“But it’s not the same as many other teams. From an entertainment perspective, I believe, what we’ve seen today between Ferrari and Mercedes was good racing, many overtakes.” Wolff said.
“We were all part of Formula 1 whenever there were no overtakes, and sometimes we are too nostalgic about the good old years.
“But I think the product is good, we saw some good racing in the midfield also. I think that’s positive.
Qualifying changes
The Mercedes team boss did accept the criticism surrounding qualifying. Super clipping is making all-out qualifying laps much harder. This is something drivers across the grid have noted, with Charles Leclerc saying the days of ‘crazy laps’ have gone.
“Now, from a driver’s standpoint, when it comes to the all balls out qualifying lap, that is different.
“Clearly, lift and coast for a qualifying lap for a guy like Max, who is all attack, is difficult to cope with and digest.
“But I would say it’s more a car-specific issue that kind of magnifies the problem that it is, because if you sit in front of a TV or a screen, even Max would say that was interesting racing at the front.”
However, Wolff said he believes the interest comes from the race day, not qualifying. He also admitted that in discussions with Stefano Dominicali, the CEO of F1, the data support the new regulations.
“Qualifying flat out would be nice, but when you look at the fans and their excitement live, the cheering when there is overtakes, and also on social media the younger fans, the vast majority of all the demographics like the sport at the moment,” he added.
“Yes, we can always look at how we can improve it. But, at the moment, all the indicators say, and all the data says people love it.
“I spoke with Stefano [Domenicali], and he said so too. So, it’s driving the car that, for some, is not the most pleasant.”
While F1 sees the intrigue and excitement in the sport increase, it’s unlikely we’ll see any significant changes to the current regulations. Instead, it’ll be up to Red Bull to alleviate Verstappen’s woes with upgrades.
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