Source:REUTERS/Mark Peterson
[Saba Sports News] After two rounds of the 2026 season, controversy over Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s struggles continues to heat up. In response, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff bluntly said after the Chinese Grand Prix that Verstappen is currently going through a nightmare phase and that he believes Red Bull’s RB22 is difficult to drive. Since the new season began, Mercedes has quickly established a lead, winning in Australia and China. By contrast, Red Bull’s performance has noticeably dipped. Verstappen made a mistake in qualifying in Australia and started from the back of the grid, recovering to sixth. In China, he was almost a second off pole in qualifying and retired from the race due to a mechanical failure. Wolff believes Verstappen’s strong criticism of the 2026 rules stems more from problems with the car itself than from the rules’ design. He pointed out that on-board footage shows the RB22 is almost uncontrollable at the limit over a single lap—something not as evident with other teams.
The editor believes the 2026 regulations, which reinforced energy-management mechanisms, require drivers to balance power output at different stages, creating a challenge for an all-out attacking driver like Verstappen. The need to lift and coast during races makes it hard for drivers who favor extreme, on-the-limit driving to adapt.