Verstappen's stunning F1 rules rant: 'If you like this, you don't know racing’

Max Verstappen has launched his latest scathing attack on Formula 1’s new regulations after the Chinese Grand Prix.

The four-time world champion has been the loudest critic of F1’s biggest-ever regulation change, which has overhauled both the chassis and power unit rules and features a near 50-50 split between combustion and electrical power.

During pre-season testing, Verstappen described the rules as being like “Formula E on steroids” before continuing to make disparaging remarks at last weekend’s Australian Grand Prix.

After retiring from Sunday’s second round of the season with an ERS cooling issue, the Red Bull driver give another stunning rant about the rules, which he labelled “a joke”.

“It’s terrible. I don’t know. If someone likes this, then you really don’t know what racing is like,” Verstappen said.

“It’’s not fun at all. It’s like playing Mario Kart. This is not racing.

“You are boosting past, then you run out of battery the next straight, they boost past you again. For me, it's just a joke.”

Verstappen says the rules have also failed to deliver exciting competition, with Mercedes claiming dominant one-twos at both the opening rounds.

“It’s just Kimi and George winning right, so it’s not really back and forth. They’re miles ahead of the field,” he said.

“It’s just that Ferrari has these good starts that pushes themselves in front, then it takes a few laps to sort everything out. But, 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 that I’m upset because of where I am, because I’m actually fighting even more because you have to understand what it is you have to do even more. For me, it’s a joke.”

F1 changes will 'ruin the sport' 

Asked if he has spoken to F1 bosses about changing the rules, Verstappen replied: “You have to be careful how you say these things. We are talking about it. I think they understand where we are coming from as the drivers. I think I speak for most of the drivers.

“Some will say it’s good, because they are winning races, which is fair enough. When you have an advantage, why would you give that up, because you never know when you are going to have a good car again.

“But if you just speak to most of the drivers, it’s not what we like. I don’t think it’s what the real F1 fans like. Some fans might like it, but they don’t understand racing.

“But hopefully we can get rid of this as soon as possible.”

Verstappen went on to warn that the regulation changes risk ruining F1.

“It will eventually ruin the sport. It will come and bite them back in the ass,” the 28-year-old Dutchman said.

“But, for me, as long as we can just communicate with them and make sure we are working with some solutions that will help a lot. But it will be very difficult for everyone to agree. Not everyone has to agree, but most of them have to to make changes.

"But like I said, it’s political. Some people feel they have the advantage now and don’t want to lose that. I get that, I’m not stupid, but at the same time if you look at it from the sport it’s not good.”