How Liberty Media press officer reacted as Max Verstappen ‘badmouthed’ F1 rules in China

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Max Verstappen left a Liberty Media press officer exasperated as he renewed his scathing criticism of the 2026 F1 rules at the Chinese Grand Prix. Verstappen failed to score a single point during the Sprint weekend, finishing ninth on Saturday and retiring from Sunday’s race.

Verstappen compared F1 to ‘Mario Kart’ before the race, as if the new-for-2026 boost and overtake buttons were video-game powerups. Speaking to outlets including ESPN, he repeated that complaint after the race.

“It’s still terrible,” he said. “I don’t know, if someone likes this, then you really don’t know what racing is about. It’s not fun at all. It’s playing Mario Kart. This is not racing.”

Would Max Verstappen be complaining about F1’s 2026 regulations if he had joined Mercedes?

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While Verstappen is adamant that he would be critical even if he was winning, Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff isn’t so sure. Regardless, the statements from the four-time world champion are clearly a problem for the championship.

Max Verstappen leaves F1 press officer tearing his hair out in China

During Sprint qualifying on Friday, the F1 broadcast was accused of deceiving fans by disguising the battery-related speed loss at the end of the back straight. After the season opener in Australia, they appeared to hide X replies criticising the new regulations.

It’s clear that the sport is going to great lengths to promote the new rules, but Verstappen is rather spoiling the PR campaign.

According to journalist Julianne Cerasoli, a Liberty Media official watched Verstappen closely in the media pen on Sunday and bemoaned his attitude.

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Verstappen was called to a meeting during winter testing when he ‘let loose’ for the first time, calling the cars ‘Formula E on steroids’.

“Max Verstappen, he was talking, really badmouthing the regulations,” Cerasoli told UOL Esporte. “He was there in the paddock, and then I saw a guy who is the press officer for Formula 1 itself, for Liberty.

“He was watching, I looked at him and said, ‘You guys are in trouble. He’s really letting loose here.

“And he was like, ‘Oh my god, Max.”

F1 will not make changes to 2026 rules after Chinese Grand Prix

As Cerasoli explained in the same video, F1 teams are still planning to meet before the Japanese GP for an initial assessment of the new rules, but the expectation is that nothing will change.

After another overtake-packed race in Shanghai, there is a general satisfaction with the Sunday product, but there could be changes to qualifying later in the year so drivers can push flat out, or at least get closer to 100%.

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“Everyone is more aligned and not changing anything now and letting the teams optimise all the systems first, then seeing what needs to be changed,” said Cerasoli.

“After this weekend, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the problem is qualifying, as opposed to the race.”