Verstappen, Hamilton wary of Silverstone pitfalls

Max Verstappen has suddenly begun to see the funnier side of things. For a man who has constantly criticized the new F1 car regulations, the Red Bull driver delivered a spectacular performance in his team’s home race in Austria, finishing a close second behind Mercedes’ George Russell.

Besides the late charge by third-placed Kimi Antonelli in a Mercedes which would have unnerved lesser drivers, Verstappen, who was overwhelmingly voted Driver of the Day, also won his toe-to-toe battle against Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, evoking the heady days of their bitter rivalry.

It was much cleaner this time, as both Verstappen and Hamilton showed what they bring to the sport with yet another battle for the ages. While the Red Bull ring with its long straights and big braking zones allowed drivers to recharge their batteries and hence put on a show, Verstappen laughed when asked about the next race in Silverstone.

Racing at Silverstone, one of the oldest tracks on the F1 schedule, will leave the cars starved for power, the Dutchman 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," he said.

"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."

Hamilton, who finished fifth, added: "I love Silverstone. But lots of straights unfortunately. Hopefully, the car will be in a nicer place there."

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."