Overview
- Nelson Piquet Jr., Verstappen’s brother‑in‑law, said on the Pelas Pistas podcast that the Red Bull star would not be criticizing the rules if he were driving the dominant Mercedes.
- Verstappen called the 2026-style racing “not fun” and likened it to “playing Mario Kart” after a Shanghai DNF caused by an ERS problem, following a sixth place in Australia.
- This season’s regulations require roughly half of a car’s power from the battery and introduce push-to-deploy boosts that reshape race tactics.
- Red Bull’s first in‑house power unit program has struggled for reliability, with Verstappen’s ERS failure in China and team‑mate Isack Hadjar retiring in Australia.
- Rivals and ex-team bosses, including Toto Wolff, Guenther Steiner and Ralf Schumacher, suggested Verstappen’s stance reflects his current competitiveness and urged him to address concerns privately with fellow drivers.