Verstappen rules out Red Bull revival as power struggles leave him seventh at Silverstone

Max Verstappen has all but written off any Red Bull championship revival in 2026, warning that the team’s energy management problems will continue to hurt them at Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps, and Monza after qualifying only seventh at the British Grand Prix.

A power unit issue during qualifying made a difficult session worse, but Verstappen was clear that the underlying problem runs deeper. “We’re not very good on those tracks, when it’s like that,” he said. “Plus, I think this weekend, the car balance has not been great.”

The admission marks a sharp shift in tone from just one week earlier, when Verstappen finished second in Austria and was still being asked in the FIA press conference whether another title fight was feasible. His response in the Silverstone paddock was blunt: “They shouldn’t ask me that question anymore.”

Silverstone is one of several so-called energy-starved circuits on the 2026 calendar, where the new power unit regulations place an even greater premium on energy management. That dynamic also produced the much-discussed yo-yo racing that has divided opinion throughout the season. Verstappen offered little enthusiasm for the spectacle: “That’s just how Formula 1 is at the moment. There’s not much you can do about it.”

Looking ahead, he sees little relief on the horizon. “Spa will basically be the same, and Monza as well. That’s a shame because Spa is obviously one of my favourite tracks. But it’s going to feel very different this year.”

When asked whether a repeat of Red Bull’s stunning second-half surge from 2025 — which nearly delivered Verstappen a fifth world title — was possible, he pointed to structural constraints beyond pure performance. “You also have the cost cap to deal with. Because of that, you can’t keep bringing a lot of upgrades to the car. We’ll keep evaluating things race by race.”

Asked during his Dutch media session whether he was at least looking forward to the summer break, Verstappen laughed: “Yes, but the summer break isn’t long enough.” The remark carried more resignation than humour for a driver who arrived in 2026 as the defending champion and now finds himself fighting to reach the top ten on the grid.