SPIELBERG, Austria (AP) — Max Verstappen said he burst out laughing after realizing how next week's British Grand Prix will highlight the shortcomings of the new Formula 1 regulations.
Verstappen has been the F1 grid's most persistent critic of the 2026 cars and their reliance on electrical battery power, and the four-time champion has cited them in questioning his own future in F1.
Racing at Silverstone, one of the oldest tracks on the F1 schedule, will leave the cars starved for power, Verstappen predicted. The cars charge their batteries using energy from braking, but Silverstone doesn't have enough heavy braking to provide the energy needed for its long straights, he said.
“Silverstone, I love the track, but I did a few laps on the simulator, I just started laughing. It felt like a different track, to be honest. 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,” Verstappen said after finishing second in Sunday's Austrian Grand Prix.
“Here (in Austria) 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 was speaking after his best result of the season in Red Bull's home race, with an upgraded car. He revealed he managed it despite discomfort in his knees after a heavy crash in qualifying.
“I knocked my knees. You hit the bones, it’s not very nice. But today was OK, so that was the most important,” he said.
With a grippier car capable of carrying more speed through the corner, Verstappen was still more upbeat than he's been almost all season.
“What was satisfying is that this was the first time I felt like actually I could fight for the win,” he said. “To be that close to a win, I think is great effort from the team. They have worked really hard to get these upgrades on the car here, and this is the first time, I think, in the race where I felt really competitive.”
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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