Max Verstappen Urges Red Bull to Improve at Silverstone

Max Verstappen expects to spend more time defending than attacking in the 2026 British Grand Prix Sprint after securing only third on the grid. The Red Bull Racing driver finished more than three-tenths behind Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli in Sprint Qualifying.

Hamilton will start the Sprint from pole position, with Antonelli alongside him on the front row. Their pace advantage means Verstappen does not expect Red Bull to challenge the leading pair immediately when the shorter race begins.

“They look quite quick. In race pace, when everything settles down, they should normally still be quick,” Verstappen said.

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“For me, it will probably be more of a battle with the guys behind,” he added.

Charles Leclerc, George Russell and Lando Norris will start directly behind Verstappen. With only small margins separating third from seventh in SQ3, the Dutch driver believes protecting a podium position will be his primary objective.

Verstappen acknowledged that the SQ3 order could have changed significantly through only minor differences. He emerged on the favourable side of that close contest, but the car still lacked the performance required to match Ferrari and Mercedes.

“The outcome of SQ3 was very close. It could easily have been third, sixth or seventh. This time, we were on the better side,” Verstappen said.

Parc fermé conditions prevent Red Bull from making major changes before the Sprint at Silverstone Circuit. The team will only be able to apply broader adjustments after the shorter race and before the main qualifying session.

Verstappen identified cornering performance and electrical energy deployment as two areas requiring improvement. Inefficient deployment can reduce acceleration and straight-line performance, while a cornering deficit limits the car’s ability to maintain momentum through Silverstone’s high-speed sections.

“We are still not where we want to be. There is a little bit missing in the corners and also with deployment. We have a few things to understand to find more lap time,” he said.

“We will try to improve that after the Sprint,” Verstappen added.

Red Bull must now complete the Sprint with its current configuration before assessing changes for Grand Prix qualifying. Verstappen’s ability to resist pressure from the group behind will determine whether he can retain third, while the post-Sprint development work will be critical to reducing the deficit during the main phase of the weekend.