The British Grand Prix weekend didn’t kick off as Red Bull Racing had hoped. Max Verstappen, typically a dominant force, found himself grappling with unexpected challenges while under serious pressure from rivals McLaren and Mercedes.
Though Verstappen has secured seven victories out of eleven races this season, he’s only managed three wins in the past six. This dip in performance came to a head as Red Bull’s British Grand Prix weekend began. Sergio Perez, one of the first to switch to dry weather tires during a tricky Q1 session, found himself misjudging the grip at Copse Corner, taking a detour through the run-off area. He tried to correct, only to end up beached in the gravel. The session had to be red-flagged.
With the track drying out, Verstappen fitted the softest Pirelli tires and soon found himself in a predicament similar to Perez’s. He managed to recover the car by letting it run straight through the gravel, but the speed expelled stones against the car’s underfloor, the very area responsible for much of its downforce. Despite this, Verstappen managed to scrape through Q1, but not without sustaining ‘significant damage’ to his car, as confirmed by Red Bull.
Christian Horner praised Verstappen’s efforts but admitted the damage was extensive. ‘The mechanics did an excellent job managing to patch it up within the rules, but a brilliant lap by Max,’ he said. Verstappen also shared his side of the story, explaining the car’s damage affected its balance throughout qualifying. ‘I lost the car coming into Copse… kept it out of the barrier but had quite a lot of floor damage,’ Verstappen told F1TV.
In the end, Verstappen muscled his way to a fourth-place start, setting the stage for a challenging race. The bigger concern, however, is that under parc fermé rules, damaged parts can only be replaced with identical ones. Red Bull had introduced a new floor design for this race, and if no spare is available, Verstappen may have to revert to an older spec. This would result in him starting from the back of the grid, though not dead last, as Pierre Gasly has already racked up 50 grid place penalties.
Amidst concerns over car damage, Verstappen stood by Perez, calling the incident ‘unlucky’ and defending his teammate’s performance during Free Practice 2. On the other hand, Perez’s continuous underperformance raises questions about the hasty contract renewal Red Bull granted him. This is the second instance where team principal Christian Horner hinted at exit clauses in Perez’s contract, suggesting performance-based stipulations.
Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz seems to be keeping his options open, with potential opportunities at Alpine, Williams, and Sauber/Audi. Sainz’s hesitation has led Williams to consider other drivers, including Daniel Ricciardo, who has shown strong performances despite an uncertain future with his current team.
As the British Grand Prix unfolds, all eyes remain on Verstappen and Red Bull. Will they overcome these hurdles or will these setbacks prove too costly? One thing’s for sure – it’s going to be an intense race weekend.
Verstappen’s resilience will be put to the test this weekend, with Red Bull under intense scrutiny. Whether they can navigate these challenges will be a focal point for fans and rivals alike.
