Toto Wolff said Max Verstappen's criticism of Formula One's new regulations is linked to his on-track difficulties rather than flaws in the latest generation of cars.

Verstappen has endured a poor start to the 2026 campaign, taking eight points from the first two races having retired from the Chinese Grand Prix with a power unit cooling issue.

The Dutchman has been outspoken about the driveability of F1's newest cars, comparing them to "Mario Kart" as well as saying the rules are "a joke". 

Other drivers have expressed their concerns about the racing, but both Mercedes and Ferrari have been largely positive after making an impressive start to the season. 

Kimi Antonelli became the second-youngest driver to win a race in the competition at 19 years, six months and 18 days in China, as he finished ahead of George Russell. 

Mercedes have claimed 98 points from the first two races, though Ferrari are not far behind, with Lewis Hamilton standing on the podium for the first time since his blockbuster move from the Silver Arrows at Shanghai International Circuit last weekend. 

And Wolff believes Verstappen's dislike of the new cars is largely down to the difficulties Red Bull has had in the first two races, which have left him eighth in the standings.

"Max is in a horror show. When you look at the onboard that he has in qualifying, it's just horrendous to drive," Wolff said. 

"You can see that. But it's not the same with many other teams.

"From an entertainment perspective, I believe that what we've seen between Ferrari and Mercedes was good racing. Many overtakes.

"We were all part of Formula 1 where there was no overtake, literally. Sometimes we're too nostalgic about the good old years. But I think the product is good in itself.

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"We saw quite some racing in the midfield also. Now, from a driver's standpoint, when it comes to the qualifying lap, that is different.

"Clearly, lifting and coasting in qualifying, I'm sure for someone like Max, who is a full-attack guy, it's difficult to cope and digest.

"But it's more a car-specific issue that magnifies the problem that it is, because if you sit in front of a TV or a screen, even Max would say, that was interesting racing in the front."

Verstappen's criticism is mainly focused on the extra emphasis on electrical power, which tends to reward the management of energy over driving the car to the limit of its grip.

New boost and overtake modes provide more chances to overtake in races, but come at the cost of depleting the battery, which can leave drivers powerless to defend positions.

Wolff conceded the level of energy management in qualifying is not to his liking, but believes fans are enjoying the new style of racing.

"Yeah, qualifying flat-out would be nice," Wolff added. "But when you look at the fans and the excitement that is there, live, the cheering when there are overtakes, and also on social media, the younger fans, the vast majority, through all the demographics, like the sport at the moment.

"So, yes, we can always look at how we're improving it, but at the moment, all the indicators say and all the data say people love it.

"And I spoke with Stefano [Domenicali, F1 CEO], he says that too. So it is driving the car that, for some, is not most pleasant."