Max Verstappen says changes in weather forecasts hurt the possibility of a better outcome for the British Grand Prix as the rain did not suit his falling force approach.
Red Bull chose a low drag setting in qualifying and increased top speeds in straights, with Verstappen officially taking pole position on Saturday. However, in wet conditions, more downforce was required, ensuring that heavy rains were slicked and only closed phases were performed, both during the race and during the race.
“I think it was all set up,” Verstappen said. “Driving today was tough. The rear wing certainly made everything more complicated, but overall I don’t think we’ll be fighting McLaren if we had a little more downforce in our car.
“The weather was getting better until yesterday, so the forecast changed a lot overnight. It was actually raining in the morning, so it was fine. And then suddenly last night, it shifted to more severe rain.
Verstappen was concerned about both the pace McLaren showed, but fell to the edge of the point due to a spin during the race reopening.
“To be honest, I didn’t know what to expect. It was extremely difficult after the first lap,” he said. “It was a very difficult balance between the speed and slow speed of the car. I couldn’t find a really good balance. I also think I’ve had too much degradation in the Inter, especially compared to the McLaren.
“And because I had my own moments, everything got a little more difficult. But even when I was late, P10, whatever I was – I really didn’t have the pace to move forward.
“But again, we made the right call. We remained calm and once again, it was the right call, so we were fifth.
Verstappen saw no correlation between the two, despite the spin that occurred shortly after the incident in which Oscar Piastri was punished behind the safety car.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “I mean, I was just trying to throttle, but up to that point, the car was already trying to find a great rhythm and caught me with cold tires.”