The F1 paddock arrived in China expecting technical talk about the new 2026 cars. Instead, Max Verstappen offered a joke that captured the mood of the grid.
Speaking ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, the four-time world champion said he had swapped his professional simulator for a Nintendo Switch and was practising on Mario Kart. The comment mocked the sport’s new rules and the energy boost system that now shapes overtaking.
Verstappen made the remark while answering a question about whether extra simulator work would help drivers manage the new cars. Rather than give a technical reply, he used humour to underline his frustration with the regulations introduced for the 2026 season.
The quip landed in a paddock already uneasy after the opening race in Australia. Several drivers have raised concerns about how the new rules affect racing.
The Nintendo Switch joke explained
Verstappen delivered the joke while speaking with reporters, including GPblog, during media day in China. The conversation turned to simulator work and whether it could help drivers handle the new energy systems in the 2026 cars.
Instead of discussing software and data, he joked that he had found a cheaper option.
“I found a cheaper solution. I swapped the simulator for my Nintendo Switch and, yeah, practising a bit of Mario Kart, actually!” Verstappen said, according to GPblog.
He continued the bit with a list of in-game power-ups.
“Yeah, finding the mushrooms is going quite well. The blue shell is a bit more difficult, but I’m working on it. The rockets are still not there. The rocket is coming!”
The comment carried a clear message. In Mario Kart, a mushroom gives a short speed boost. Verstappen compared that mechanic to the new Overtake Mode in Formula 1, which provides an electrical boost to drivers running within one second of the car ahead. The same, perhaps, could be said about the Boost Mode as well.
For a driver who has built his career on precision and pace, the comparison to a video game highlighted how little he values the new system.
His criticism has built since testing began. Verstappen has called the rules “anti-racing” and “Formula E on steroids.”
After the opening race at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne, he finished sixth after starting twentieth following a qualifying crash. Speaking to Viaplay, he said the style of racing reminded him of the game he plays at home.
“If you enjoy that, okay, but that’s what I do at home, and I play Mario Kart,” he said, via RaceFans. “For me personally, I didn’t really enjoy that. The way that you were racing is not really proper, let’s say like that.”
The media session in China simply gave him another stage to repeat the message.
Max Verstappen finds GT3 more rewarding than F1 right now
Verstappen’s frustration goes beyond a single race result. He told GPblog that GT3 cars are “one hundred per cent” more fun to race than the current Formula 1 machines.
He said the issue is not just speed. Verstappen explained that he did not choose these regulations and would have preferred a very different type of car.
He also pointed to the politics around the current rules. Teams and the FIA continue to debate possible changes, and the process has created tension across the sport.
In contrast, Max Verstappen described GT3 racing as more direct and less political.
“That’s why I sometimes find GT3 races more fun as well. It’s just more normal and less political in that area. Generally, it’s more about pure racing there. The cars might be slower, but that doesn’t matter much. That’s fine,” the Dutchman noted.
That appeal links to his own plans. Verstappen is set to compete in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, a famous endurance event held on the German circuit.
He said racing there would give him a chance to explore another form of motorsport during a season that has started with little enjoyment. The interest also connects to his father’s background in endurance racing.
Verstappen added that the GT3 world feels like a different environment. In that setting, he said he can be a bit more himself.
Other drivers join the Mario Kart chorus
Verstappen is not the only driver using the Mario Kart comparison.
During the Australian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc fought for the lead with George Russell. His race engineer told him he had Overtake Mode available for the whole lap.
Leclerc answered over the radio: “This is like a mushroom in Mario Kart.” The comment pointed directly to the boost system now shaping overtaking.
Another driver shared similar concerns. Sergio Pérez, now racing for Cadillac, told reporters the racing in Melbourne felt “very fake.” He described drivers passing with a power boost only to lose the place again moments later.
The reigning champion, Lando Norris, offered one of the bleakest responses during media sessions. Asked if there was anything he liked about the new cars, he paused and looked down before answering: “No, not really.”
Haas driver Oliver Bearman also described the strange dynamic. He said it sometimes felt like he was “in F1 and everyone else was in F2” before battery recharge pulled the field together again.
The criticism has even reached other series. NASCAR champion Kevin Harvick said the race in Australia was one of the most awkward events he had watched. When he heard drivers compare the racing to Mario Kart, he said the description made sense.
For Verstappen, the joke about a Nintendo Switch carried a simple point. At the moment, the driver who has dominated Formula 1 for years sounds more excited about a mushroom power-up than the rules shaping the sport’s new era.
