Max Verstappen faced difficulties during the first day of practice at the British Grand Prix in Silverstone, grappling with his Red Bull car’s performance in both FP1 and FP2 sessions. Despite the circuit’s layout favoring Red Bull’s strengths, the Dutch driver found himself unable to extract the expected speed, highlighting ongoing Max Verstappen Red Bull struggles.
Throughout the free practice sessions, Verstappen encountered handling issues, particularly understeer in slower corners, which made the car challenging to control. When pushing for quicker laps, the driver lost considerable time, notably in the second sector, where the slower corners demand precision. By the end of the day, Verstappen’s best time was nearly half a second slower than Lando Norris’ leading benchmark, indicating that the team is still searching for optimal balance. Although his long-run pace appeared more promising, the immediate impression was one of difficulty and underperformance.
In his own words, Verstappen described the day as disappointing and below expectations. Speaking on his personal platform, he said,
“For me personally, it was quite a bad day. The balance was very bad, and it was difficult from corner to corner. The wind has a big impact, but that’s not an excuse, because everybody has to deal with it.” —Max Verstappen, Driver
He further elaborated,
“Our car seems quite sensitive to it. In general a mediocre day, difficult. We’re lacking performance, and we’re looking at a few things to try and improve that.” —Max Verstappen, Driver
Issues with Understeer and Wind Affecting Car Balance
Christian Horner, Team Principal of Red Bull, shared insights into Verstappen’s struggles, confirming that the car’s understeer was a significant concern. Speaking to Sky Sports, Horner highlighted how the team was focused on resolving this imbalance, which had a strong impact in specific corners.
“We’ve got a bit of understeer in the car, which we just need to sort out. So it’s a bit of a balancing act. I think if we can sort that out… We’re giving away… 90 per cent of our lap time is in Turns six and seven (Brooklands and Luffield, ed.). So those are the low-speed corners and when we turn back into the wind.” —Christian Horner, Red Bull Team Principal
Horner also noted the encouraging signs from Verstappen’s long runs, which showed competitive pace despite the challenges. He remained hopeful that adjustments overnight could improve the car’s handling. He added,
“The rest of the lap looks pretty good. And if you look at the long run times, they actually look pretty good. So I think we have something we can work with. We just need to make sure we set it up the right way from one day to the next.” —Christian Horner, Red Bull Team Principal
Verstappen’s Previous Success at Silverstone and the Weekend Ahead
Max Verstappen, a two-time winner at Silverstone with victories in 2020 and 2023, faces a crucial weekend as he aims to overcome the current difficulties with his car. With intense focus on both his performance and his future in Formula 1, how Verstappen and Red Bull adapt in the coming sessions will be key to their race prospects.
The team’s effort to correct the understeer and improve the car’s response to windy conditions could influence their competitiveness in qualifying and the race itself. As the weekend progresses, closely monitored adjustments are expected as Verstappen seeks to reclaim the pace typically expected from Red Bull at this fast British circuit.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. What gender is Max Verstappen’s baby?
A. Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet have announced the birth of their baby just before the Miami Grand Prix. The couple shared that their first child, a daughter, has arrived.