The British Grand Prix turned into a particularly strange race for Red Bull Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen.
The four-time world champion said he was still struggling with both power unit and balance issues, yet despite those problems he appeared to be on course for his third podium finish of the season before crashing out.
After qualifying, Verstappen urged Red Bull to replace the power unit following the issues he experienced in qualifying and suggested that, if the team decided to break parc ferme, they should also make significant set-up changes.
In the end, none of that happened, much to Verstappen’s frustration. Asked by Dutch broadcaster Viaplay why he had ultimately started from seventh on the grid, Verstappen replied bluntly: “You have to ask the team.
“I would much rather have started from the pitlane because the race was exactly the same. I told them: ‘We’ll just see the same thing again in the race.’ And that’s exactly what happened, just like in qualifying.”
Despite that, Verstappen was still on course for a podium finish, although he made it clear to the media that such a result would not have reflected the true picture.
Max Verstappen says he’s been lacking top speed all weekend and preferred to start from the pitlane
Photo by: Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
“We were lucky with everything that happened around me – with the penalty for Lewis, a slow puncture for George, Kimi’s problem,” he continued.
“Even if we would have finished on the podium, I mean, you take it, but it’s not deserved at all. Because on the hard tyres we were really slow. I don’t know how I kept George and Lewis behind for so long.
“The whole weekend I had a terrible balance, no top speed compared to the other car in the garage as well. And then the race was exactly the same, which I already predicted.”
Verstappen calls Red Bull rear wing issues “dangerous”
In the end, Verstappen did not make it to the podium. The Red Bull driver spun off at high speed through Stowe in the closing stages of the race. Over the team radio he immediately voiced his frustration with the car, and afterwards explained the cause.
“It was like Austria,” he added. “A different fault, let’s say, but the same outcome. So again, while turning into the corner, the rear wing is not fully attaching. And you lose a lot of downforce because of that. You just spin off the track.”
This has added to Verstappen’s frustration over Red Bull’s current situation.
Max Verstappen adds he’s not interested in talks with Red Bull’s top management ahead of the Belgian GP
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
“Well, at that point it’s super dangerous, because you can really hurt yourself, two times,” he insisted. “I was lucky in Austria, I was lucky here, but that’s why you get really fed up with it.”
According to Verstappen, Red Bull is currently dealing with far too many problems in 2026, ranging from the power unit to the chassis and the rear wing. As a result, he sees little reason for optimism.
“I would be a very zen person to be optimistic at the moment with what happened again this weekend,” he said. “I’m sorry, but it’s just like that. I need a few days, I think, to reset and try again.”
Asked by the Dutch broadcaster whether he felt the need to have a proper conversation with Red Bull’s management before the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, Verstappen concluded: “To be honest, I don’t want anything to do with it for a while.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
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