F1 fans all say the same thing about Max Verstappen’s Red Bull complaint after Japanese GP Q2 exit

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Max Verstappen hitting out at his Red Bull RB22 after bowing out of qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix in Q2 has seen F1 fans unanimously ridicule a widely held belief.

The 28-year-old failed to get into a Q3 session in Japan for the first time since his rookie F1 season back in 2015 this Saturday. But unlike in 2015, when Verstappen paid the price for an engine issue with Toro Rosso, he bowed out during Q2 in 2026 simply due to a lack of pace.

To make matters worse, rookie Arvid Lindblad with sister team Racing Bulls was the driver to knock Verstappen out in qualifying for the Japanese GP. Lindblad got through to Q3 in P10 by 0.153s over the Red Bull ace, whose 2026 teammate Isack Hadjar also finished Q2 in P9.

Hadjar went on to be the top Red Bull family driver in qualifying, as Mercedes talent Andrea Kimi Antonelli scored pole for the Japanese GP. The 21-year-old secured P8 in Q3, but with a 1.200s deficit behind Antonelli, while Lindblad ended qualifying in P10 with a 1.541s deficit.

Suzuka had not seen Max Verstappen fail to reach Q3 since his rookie season – Predict how many times he will fail to reach Q3 in 2026?

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F1 fans claim Max Verstappen cannot win ‘in any car’ after his Q2 exit at the Japanese Grand Prix

Verstappen called his Red Bull RB22 “undriveable” after qualifying in Japan, as he hit out at how his car handled. The four-time F1 champion was particularly irate that the car “never” let him turn in mid-corner because of the amount of oversteer he encountered around Suzuka.

READ MORE: How to watch the 2026 F1 Japanese Grand Prix, including the race start time

But hearing Verstappen complain about his RB22 oversteering in qualifying for the Japanese GP saw many F1 fans question the widely shared claim that the Red Bull driver can win with any car. One Formula 1 fan reacted on Reddit, noting: “Thought he could win in a tractor?”

Another F1 fan noted: “Max not supporting the ‘He can win in any car’ claim.” While one fan said: “I thought he could win the title in a Williams? Beaten by a good teammate in equally upgraded car parts, not at that time of year where all the cost cap goes into one car’s parts.”

One F1 fan also reflected on Hadjar’s performance in qualifying after hearing Verstappen’s complaints: “They’re both horrible through the Esses section, but the difference between the two is Max was totally unstable at Spoon Corner. Hadjar handled it better.”

Another fan also said Verstappen’s problems during qualifying for the Japanese GP may be a consequence of his disgust for the 2026 regulations. They said: “Some of it might genuinely be him not respecting these regs at all. Like, if you can’t send it, it’s useless to him.

“So, this more even-keeled approach that is needed (rather than taking risks) is what is demotivating, even beyond the car itself. Maybe he’ll adapt a nerfed version of himself eventually, but he doesn’t seem enthused about it.”

Here’s how the grid will line up for the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix – Which driver can spring a surprise at Suzuka?

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Many fans agreed with the suggestion that Verstappen’s issues with the 2026 F1 regulations are affecting his performances. One noted: “I think this is a good point, these new cars can’t be driven on the edge of grip. It kind of takes away driver skill thought, which is a big shame.

“He might still have to do 2028, but he will definitely quit after that. If you can’t really make a difference anymore through driving, I can see him going to other series. In the end, he just wants to have fun – this is clearly not fun for him.”

The suggestion that Verstappen is struggling due to the 2026 F1 regulations also saw one fan compare his plight with Lewis Hamilton struggling during the ground-effect era. They noted: “I wonder if Verstappen will go the way of Hamilton, meaning they both dominated during a regulations cycle and then just looked average in the next. [It is] crazy to see.”

Hamilton went from fighting for the F1 drivers’ championship every year from 2014 to 2021 to then struggling to score wins and podiums during the ground-effect era. Verstappen took advantage of Red Bull initially acing the ground-effect rules, but they are struggling in 2026.

Verstappen achieved P6 in the 2026 season-opening Australian Grand Prix, as he recovered from P20 on the grid after crashing without setting a lap time during qualifying. But he only finished P8 in the Shanghai Sprint from P8 on the grid, and he retired from the Chinese GP.