Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has empathized with Max Verstappen after the Dutchman endured a disastrous race weekend at the Chinese GP, saying the Red Bull appears “horrendous to drive”. The Austrian suggested that Verstappen’s criticism of the 2026 regulations may partly stem from his difficult experience with the RB22.

After yet another one-two for Mercedes at the Chinese GP, Toto Wolff was asked about Max Verstappen’s criticism of the 2026 regulations while appearing in front of the media. Wolff replied by empathizing with the 4x world champion, saying that he is currently in a “horror show”.

The 54-year-old claimed that not every team has it as bad as Red Bull in terms of drivability, and that Verstappen’s opinion might be clouded by his car’s behavior.

“I mean, Max is really in a horror show. When you look at the onboard that he had in qualifying yesterday, that is just horrendous to drive. And you can see that, but it’s not the same with many other teams,” said Wolff.

Wolff also added that he can understand the criticism of the new regulations from a guy like Max Verstappen, who would prefer to go flat out during qualifying rather than lift and coast. But he added that from a fan’s point of view, the new regulations have been successful in providing entertainment.

It is safe to say that Wolff’s observation that Verstappen is currently in a “horror show” is not too far from being accurate. The driver himself has said that he is not enjoying driving the new cars at all, and his performances have also been affected by a problematic RB22.

In Australia, a car issue meant he crashed in qualifying and started 20th. In China, a car issue once again meant he had to retire from the race while running in a relatively respectable sixth place.

Max Verstappen claims he would be critical of the 2026 F1 rules even if he was winning races

Max Verstappen has claimed that his criticism of the 2026 F1 regulations has nothing to do with Red Bull’s performance in 2026. He emphasized that he would be equally as against them even if he was winning races.

Speaking to the media after the Chinese GP, Verstappen countered the notion that he is simply upset with his team’s performance and hence critical of the regulations, saying:

“Well, it’s just Kimi [Antonelli] or George [Russell] winning, right? It’s not really back-and-forth. They’re miles ahead of the field. It’s just that Ferrari sometimes has these good starts, then they push themselves in front, and then it takes a few laps to sort it all out.” [via The Race]

“This has nothing to do with racing – and I would say the same if I would be winning races. Because I care about the racing product. It’s not about being upset with where I am,” he added.

Max Verstappen claimed that the overtaking action this year is artificial, saying that one driver simply runs out of battery and gets overtaken, and then takes the place back when the other driver runs out. He also said that anybody who is enjoying racing in 2026 does not understand the sport.