Max Verstappen’s harsh criticism of F1 2026 rules sparks controversy after his Chinese GP retirement, with Juan Pablo Montoya urging the FIA to fine or even remove the Red Bull driver over his repeated remarks about the sport.
Every time Max Verstappen has stepped out in the 2026 Formula 1 season, he has taken a swipe at the new engine rules, and now it’s turning into a bigger controversy. After calling the regulations “a joke” following his Chinese Grand Prix retirement, F1 pundit Juan Pablo Montoya has gone a step further, urging the FIA to either fine the Red Bull driver or “show him the door.”
It was another tough weekend for the reigning champion in Shanghai where he ended pre-maturely for the first time in his career. Following what he described as a “disaster” Sprint race, Verstappen struggled again on Sunday.
“Same problem as yesterday at the start, so we were last again,” he said. “Then we tried to move forward, but we had a lot of degradation and graining on the tyres. That made it very complicated.”
The Red Bull driver started from 8th on the grid and was battling for P5 against Haas’ young talent Ollie Bearman right when his race ended early due to an ERS cooling issue, adding to his already existing frustration. But Verstappen insisted his criticism isn’t about results.
“It’s not about being upset at where I am,” he explained. “If someone likes this, then you really don’t know what racing is like. Not fun at all. Playing Mario Kart. This is not racing and I would say the same if I would be winning races because I care about the racing product.”
“For me, it’s a joke,” said Max.
Even earlier in the season at the Australian Grand Prix, where he fought back to finish sixth after starting from the back of the grid, Verstappen made his stance clear.
“We just want the best for the sport. We are critical for a reason. We want it to be proper Formula 1—but today, that was not the case.”
Now, his repeated comments have sparked a bigger debate in the paddock. Former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya has hit back strongly, urging the FIA to take action against the four-time world champion as this is bad for the sports’ reputation.
“Formula 1 should do what the sporting world in the United States does,” Montoya said. “If people don’t respect the sport, the door is open.”
“They can leave or be fined so they learn to respect what they’re doing. I would do that.” Montoya also took issue with Verstappen mocking the sport, saying such comments “shouldn’t be accepted by Formula 1.”
“It’s fine for people to have an opinion. I’m not saying they have to like it, but for them to mock Formula 1 and compare it to Mario Kart…That shouldn’t be accepted by Formula 1,” he added.