Former Red Bull senior engine technician Calum Nicholas shared a gripping story about driving Max Verstappen around Silverstone before the start of a Formula 1 season. The experience, intended as a straightforward reconnaissance lap, turned into a nerve-racking challenge that highlighted the pressure behind the scenes of a top racing team.
The episode took place on a chilly, wet morning at Silverstone during one of Red Bull’s annual filming days, when teams use their allotted time to get a pre-season shake-down on the track. Verstappen was preparing for his opening laps of the new season, and team race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase suggested someone accompany Max to help scout the circuit, a task Nicholas quickly volunteered for.
Behind the Wheel: Managing Pressure in an Aging Audi RS6
Calum Nicholas drove his 2013 Audi RS6 with over 100,000 miles on the clock, marking his first time taking the car onto a circuit. While excited initially, his enthusiasm soon shifted as the complexity of the job settled in. A critical point of concern was the car’s fuel gauge, which indicated only 30 miles’ worth of fuel, a range that disappeared rapidly with spirited driving.
Verstappen rode shotgun, instructing him to push harder, while Lambiase, seated behind, urged caution. This created a difficult balancing act for Nicholas, caught between encouraging Verstappen’s eagerness to speed up and the engineer’s warnings not to overextend.
His anxiety heightened on track as Max insisted on driving flat-out through challenging corners, such as the high-speed Maggotts and Becketts complex. Nicholas recalled one moment where Verstappen’s confidence contrasted sharply with his own caution:
“But Max did make me laugh at one point. Because as we’re approaching Maggotts and Becketts, bear in mind I’m already doing a fair lick, he [Max] just says to me, ‘It’s flat through here.’” —Calum Nicholas
Nicholas responded firmly, explaining he wasn’t prepared to push the car to that extent on public road tires, emphasizing the gap between Verstappen’s racing mindset and the limitations of the road car.
Team Dynamics and the Weight of Responsibility
Nicholas described the conflicting voices he faced as emblematic of the underlying tension during pre-season preparations. Verstappen’s driver instincts demanded speed and confidence, while the team’s focus on safety and equipment preservation required restraint.
He also highlighted the significance of completing the lap without incident, knowing that any mishap could potentially jeopardize Verstappen’s readiness for the upcoming season and create logistical headaches for the team.
“Anyway, we all made it round the lap safely. Which is good, because I would not have wanted to explain to health and safety why a pretty key member of the team was injured before the season starts!” —Calum Nicholas
Alongside Verstappen and Lambiase, performance engineer Tom Hart was present, underscoring the collaborative effort behind even seemingly simple tasks in Formula 1. The combined pressure from team members illustrated the fine line between caution and risk as key staff worked to support the driver’s preparation.
What This Lap Reveals About Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s Culture
This story offers a rare glimpse into the high-stakes environment experienced by Red Bull’s support crew and highlights Max Verstappen’s fearless approach to racing, even outside the cockpit of a Formula 1 car. It also shows how the team’s meticulous care surrounds the champion, protecting him physically and strategically before every season.
Such episodes underscore the challenges and pressures underpinning pre-season preparations at the highest level of motorsport and how critical every moment on and off the track is when gearing up for competition.
As Verstappen continues to chase further success, moments like these demonstrate the careful orchestration behind his continued dominance, blending daring talent with exacting support from his team.