A statement by Guenther Steiner about Max Verstappen provoked an immediate reaction from Jos Verstappen and reignited the debate around Formula 1 regulations for the coming years. The former Haas boss suggested that the Red Bull Racing driver would have a more favorable view of the rules if he were dominating the season, a comment that was not well received by the four-time world champion’s father.
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The controversy began during Steiner’s appearance on the Red Flags podcast. On that occasion, the manager stated that Verstappen would probably classify the current regulations as the best in history if he were winning races and comfortably leading the championship.
This statement quickly resonated on social media and received a direct response from Jos Verstappen. In a post reproducing the former manager’s words, the Dutch driver’s father strongly rebutted: “Hello, Guenther. I understand why you are no longer a team principal in Formula 1. By the way you speak,” Jos wrote.
Max’s father was not the only one to challenge Steiner’s assessment. Dani Juncadella, Max Verstappen’s teammate in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, also came to the Red Bull driver’s defense and reminded that criticism of the new regulations is not recent: “The guy has been warning everyone about these rules since 2023, but the head of the consortium that acquired the MotoGP Tech 3 team knows better,” Juncadella said in response to the former Haas boss’s statements.
Verstappen’s criticisms of the current Formula 1 rules have been gaining prominence over the past few months. After the Miami GP, the FIA announced an initial understanding with engine manufacturers to change the power split between the combustion engine and the electric part, moving from a 50/50 ratio to 60/40.
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This possible change led Verstappen to confirm before the Canadian GP that he intended to continue in Formula 1 in 2027. However, the implementation of the changes began to face difficulties, casting doubt on their final approval.
During the weekend in Montreal, the Dutchman again expressed concern about the future regulation: “If it continues like this, 2027 will be a long year, something I don’t want. I can say that if it continues like this, we’ll see. Mentally, it’s not possible for me to stay like this. It really isn’t,” the Dutchman concluded.
Despite the critical tone, Verstappen ruled out the possibility of taking a sabbatical year from the category. With that, the pressure for the approval of the changes falls on the manufacturers involved in the discussions about the future of Formula 1 power units.
