Max Verstappen has been told Michael Schumacher would never have reacted the way he has to F1’s new regulations and Red Bull’s struggles to get up to speed this season.

Verstappen warned over the weekend that F1 is on the brink of being ruined and claimed this season’s “painful” new rules will “come back to bite the sport on the a***”.

The four-time world champion has also been critical of Red Bull as they have struggled in the opening two races of the season.

But Ralf Schumacher, speaking on Backstage Boxengasse Podcast said: “I think Max is, you have to say, a top-notch bloke, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with him. I think the only thing he’s missing right now, and this isn’t unusual, is someone to talk to.

“When someone is as successful as Max Verstappen, and I’ve seen this for myself, it’s only natural that there are few people who’ll contradict him, and Max would be well advised to listen to either his manager or a good friend, and focus on what’s important.

“It’s always important to have someone by your side who protects you from making mistakes like that, and I think that’s something Max is lacking a bit, because of course, he’s used to the fact that, thanks to his success, he could more or less do whatever he wanted.

“Of course, things are different now. At the moment, he’s racing, well, let’s say, in the midfield. And what’s really important now, and this is the big difference compared to my brother, who has always stood by his team and held back on public criticism.

“And of course, you need to have a proper chat behind closed doors. I’ve heard they all flew in together on the same plane. They had a big meeting there. That’s important. The next step is that Mekies now needs to show that he’s not just a great leader, but that he might also fill the gaps that have arisen by bringing in staff from outside.”