(Motorsport-Total.com) – Just recently there was trouble between Max Verstappen and Juan Pablo Montoya, now Max’s father Jos takes on the next Formula 1 expert. On social media, the Dutchman took a jab at long-time Haas team principal Günther Steiner.
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The 54-year-old commented on X on a post quoting Steiner saying that Max Verstappen probably only still likes the 2026 Formula 1 regulations because he is currently not winning.
Specifically, Steiner said on the Red Flags Podcast after the Canadian race, where Verstappen finished third: “Max Verstappen was somewhat happier because he was on the podium. If he had won, he would probably be really happy. They would be the best rules of all time.”
Even though Steiner made these statements with a wink, Jos Verstappen responded with the following post: “Hello Günther. I understand why you are no longer an F1 team principal. The way you talk.”
Steiner was team principal at Haas from 2014 to 2024 but then had to make way for the current team boss Ayao Komatsu. Since the end of 2025, he has been active in MotoGP, where he took over the Tech3 team with a consortium.
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Nevertheless, Steiner remains a sought-after expert in Formula 1. For his statement about Max Verstappen, however, he receives pushback not only from father Jos but also from Daniel Juncadella, who was Verstappen’s teammate this year at the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring.
He writes on social media about the four-time world champion: “The guy has been warning everyone about the new rules since 2023. But the head of the consortium that took over the Tech3 MotoGP team knows better.”
In fact, Verstappen is among those in the paddock who were skeptical about the new 2026 regulations years ago. Already in 2023, for example, he said the regulations were “too complicated” and would feel “strange.”
Because the Dutchman has publicly criticized the rules several times this year as well, Juan Pablo Montoya recently suggested a race ban for Verstappen. The latter recently countered in an interview with De Telegraaf and said that Montoya “talks a lot of nonsense.”
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