[Saba Sports News] Controversies surrounding the 2026 technical regulations keep escalating, with disputes spilling over from the racetrack onto social media. Following the Canadian Grand Prix, former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner sparked widespread debate with his remarks, prompting an immediate public rebuttal from Jos Verstappen.
As one of the staunchest critics of the upcoming 2026 regulations, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has repeatedly voiced frustration over the new powertrain formula. He argues the cars’ heavy reliance on energy management strays from the core essence of classic Formula 1, and has even warned he will reconsider his future in the sport if planned regulatory revisions for 2027 fail to materialise.
Steiner, however, disagrees with Verstappen’s stance. The ex-F1 boss recently claimed Verstappen would hail the existing rules as the best ever were Red Bull currently dominating the championship. In Steiner’s view, drivers’ opinions on regulations are closely tied to their on-track results. His comments immediately angered the entire Verstappen family. Jos Verstappen hit back via social media shortly afterwards, writing that he now understood why Steiner was no longer an F1 team principal, adding his attempts at humour fell flat. The post quickly went viral, racking up hundreds of thousands of views and numerous likes within a short span.
In my opinion, drivers’ assessments of sporting rules are largely coloured by their competitive standings, essentially a subjective reflection of personal interests and driving experience. Those leading the standings tend to praise rules as fair and offering ample room to exploit performance, while competitors trailing in the pack are prone to criticise regulations for being biased, overcomplicated or designed to curb their competitiveness.