Max Verstappen admitted that he was left “just laughing” at a notable problem he discovered in simulator preparations for this weekend’s Formula 1 British Grand Prix.
The Dutchman heralded a return to form for his Red Bull team at the Austrian Grand Prix with second place, despite crashing in qualifying.
Starting fifth after his shunt, Verstappen leapfrogged both Ferraris and the Mercedes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli to finish just 1.7 seconds adrift of the sister Merc of George Russell at the chequered flag.
It laid claim to a justification in the Milton Keynes-based squad’s new upgrades suite for the race in Spielberg, and sparked intrigue in the possibility of another Verstappen title comeback.
This gives Verstappen the foundations to right a few wrongs at Silverstone this weekend, having suffered an uncharacteristic spin last year, which helped Lando Norris take victory on home soil, on his way to his eventual defeat of Verstappen in the title battle.
But despite declaring the classic circuit as one he ‘loves’, the four-time World Champion once again raised the issue of this season’s controversial power unit regulations.
“Let’s take it race by race,” Verstappen told media, including Motorsport Week, when asked if he felt he could challenge for victory. “Silverstone, I love the track, but I did a few laps on the simulator, I just started laughing.”
Max Verstappen: New F1 rules will make British GP “a tough one”
Silverstone’s exciting blend of corners have often made it one of the more exciting races on the calendar, and it is clearly a challenge that Verstappen thrives on.
But the new 50-50 hybrid V6 power units left him feeling, based on his apparently amusing simulator session, that it felt somewhat alien.
“It felt like a different track, to be honest,” he continued. “You barely have battery around the lap. It’s just constantly flat.
“So yes, it’s going to feel very different compared to what we are used to around Silverstone, because of the layout of the track.
“Here [Red Bull Ring] you have long straights and big braking zones, so you can charge the battery.
“There you have long straights but in a fast corner, for example, so you can’t really charge the batteries, and then the next straight you don’t have a lot to spend. It’s going to be a tough one.”
Verstappen took pole position last year, after a radical setup change which ultimately backfired in race conditions, but will be keen to grab any opportunity to rejuvenate his 2026 chances with both hands.
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