Max Verstappen explains after the Sprint: This is why things went in the wrong direction

The starting position wasn’t bad: after Max Verstappen had once again pulled one of his famous flying laps out of the hat at the crucial moment during the Sprint qualifying session at Silverstone, he was able to start the mini-race on the British circuit from third on the grid. There were high hopes that he would be able to keep up with the fast rivals around him.

But these hopes were quickly dashed, as the Dutchman dropped back several places right at the start. Verstappen wouldn’t be the exceptional talent he is if he let that put him off. He fought his way back quickly, but ultimately stood no chance. One rival after another overtook him, and by the end of the 17th lap, he crossed the line in sixth place.

The reason for the two-place drop was soon identified. After the race, Verstappen emphasised: “The start wasn’t good, but to be honest that wasn’t too bad, because after two or three laps I was already back in the position I should have been in. But apparently we didn’t have the same pace as my direct rivals in the high-speed corners.”

“I tried to keep up, but then I was sliding around a lot, which in turn led to my tyres wearing out more quickly. Ultimately, that was also the reason why I dropped back,” added the 71-time Grand Prix winner in his usual deadpan manner.

Ahead of qualifying, the Red Bull Racing team now has the opportunity to tweak the car’s set-up once more and improve the RB22’s handling.

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