Max Verstappen says sampling Silverstone in Red Bull’s simulator recently left him laughing – but not because he was enjoying himself.
Fresh from an encouraging second-place finish at the Austrian Grand Prix, Verstappen heads to one of his favourite venues with cautious optimism.
Red Bull’s latest upgrade package delivered a welcome step forward in Austria, but the Dutchman believes Silverstone will ask entirely different questions of both the RB22 and Formula 1’s new-generation cars – and will be “a tough one.”
When pressed after last weekend’s Austrian Grand Prix on how Red Bull might fare next weekend, the Dutchman didn't offer the usual PR platitudes. Instead, he reached back to that eye-opening simulator run to explain the awkward truth of modern energy management.
“Silverstone, I love the track, but I did a few laps on the simulator and I just started laughing,” Verstappen said.
“It felt like a different track, to be honest. You barely have battery around the lap.”
More battery drain dilemma
Rather than enjoying the familiar rhythm of Silverstone’s sweeping high-speed corners, Verstappen found himself grappling with a completely different challenge: keeping enough electrical energy available throughout the lap.
“It’s just constantly flat [on the throttle]. 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,” he added.
“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 [of electrical energy] to spend.
“It’s going to be a tough one.”
His reaction highlights one of the biggest talking points surrounding Formula 1’s current technical regulations.
With greater emphasis placed on electrical deployment, drivers must carefully balance battery usage across an entire lap, making circuit characteristics more influential than ever.
Despite the RB22 looking rejuvenated in Austria, Verstappen is refusing to get ahead of himself, well aware that the unique, energy-starved nature of the British Grand Prix will rewrite the competitive order yet again.
Currently sitting seventh in the drivers' standings and chasing a formidable 98-point deficit to championship leader Kimi Antonelli, the Dutchman is taking a measured approach.
“Let’s take it race by race,” Verstappen said.
Whether the rest of the grid will be laughing or crying alongside him when the lights go out next weekend remains to be seen.
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