Six-time Grand Prix winner Ralf Schumacher has criticised driver behaviour in Formula 1 following the United States Grand Prix, as he says drivers should control their emotions better over team radio and not directly criticise the teams so openly.

Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli all but secured the 2026 F1 Drivers’ Championship at the Circuit of the Americas near Austin, Texas, with a dominant victory on Sunday. The Italian converted pole position into his ninth win of the season, finishing ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in second and Red Bull's Max Verstappen in third.

Antonelli is now just two points shy from becoming F1’s youngest-ever world champion, with the youngster all set to secure the title at this weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix.

Following the completion of the race, however, the 51-year-old former F1 driver criticised the behaviour of Red Bull's Isack Hadjar.

Ralf Schumacher Slams F1 Driver

The Frenchman was heard over the radio angrily questioning the team and complaining about his car. Hadjar was also frustrated by an engine mapping error which he says cost him a second per lap. Hadjar failed to switch the engine map back to its usual race mode following a pit stop, resulting in him being stuck in the pit-lane mode for the remainder of the race.

“The car was hard to drive. Consequently, it was difficult for both drivers. I think you can tell that’s the case with Max Verstappen, obviously," Schumacher said.

“Nevertheless, the team praised him afterwards and said, well, that was actually a good result given what we were able to achieve here; we made the best of it.

“So, that’s fine, which is something I can’t quite say for his teammate, because I think this is now the second time. I wouldn’t say it’s a lack of decency, but it’s not the sort of behaviour one should expect from him.

“It’s clear there are problems, but he’s not exactly flawless either.

“When you talk about the issue so intensely and so frustratedly – and in that manner – then I have to say quite honestly that, in my view, that sort of behaviour does not belong in Formula 1.”

Schumacher said such behaviour would not have been tolerated at the team had Helmut Marko still been there. Red Bull has undergone a period of upheaval of late with a number of high-profile departures. Alongside the departure of Marko, long-time team principal Christian Horner left in 2025, and Max Verstappen's race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase is set to leave in 2028 in order to join McLaren once his contract expires.