Max Verstappen Raises Energy Concern Before British GP

Max Verstappen has admitted he is concerned about Red Bull Racing's energy management ahead of the 2026 British Grand Prix, revealing that an early simulator session at Silverstone Circuit exposed a major technical challenge.

The concern comes only days after Verstappen finished second at the Austrian Grand Prix, where Red Bull's latest RB22 upgrades significantly improved the team's competitiveness. However, the Dutchman believes Silverstone presents a completely different technical challenge.

Unlike the Red Bull Ring, Silverstone features long high-speed corners and very few heavy braking zones, limiting opportunities for the hybrid system to recover electrical energy under braking. As a result, battery deployment around the lap is expected to become a critical factor.

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"Let's take it race by race. Silverstone, I love the track, but I did a few laps on the simulator and I just started laughing. It felt like a different track, to be honest," Verstappen said.

He explained that the circuit layout leaves little opportunity to recharge the battery because the car spends much of the lap at full throttle through high-speed sections rather than under heavy braking.

"You barely have battery around the lap. It's constantly flat out. Here you have long straights and big braking zones, so you can charge the battery. At Silverstone you have long straights connected by fast corners, so you can't really recharge the batteries, and then on the next straight you don't have much energy to spend. It's going to be a tough one," he added.

Verstappen's assessment suggests that despite Red Bull's encouraging progress in Austria, extracting maximum performance from the RB22 at Silverstone will depend not only on outright pace but also on how effectively the team manages hybrid energy deployment throughout one of Formula 1's fastest circuits.