Max Verstappen’s Japanese Grand Prix win streak under threat as Mercedes dominate
The Red Bull driver has raged against the 2026 regulations and new car designs, branding them ‘anti-racing’ and likening them to a video game
Max Verstappen said that the Japanese Grand Prix is one of his favourite races, but his chances of a fifth straight victory at the weekend look vanishingly slim as his Red Bull struggles with Formula One’s sweeping new regulations.
Mercedes drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will carry their early dominance into Suzuka, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton their nearest challengers.
Red Bull and Verstappen are scrambling to recover from a disastrous start to the Formula One season, as are McLaren, whose drivers – world champion Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri – both failed to start in China with separate technical problems.
Verstappen, the four-time world champion, finished sixth in the opening grand prix in Australia after crashing in qualifying.
He then limped home ninth and out of the points in the Shanghai sprint before retiring from the main race.
Verstappen has raged against the 2026 regulations and new car designs, branding them “anti-racing” and likening them to the Mario Kart video game with their electrical boost and overtake modes.