Verstappen was outpaced from the start by Norris, much to the joy of the fans at Silverstone. This also gave Piastri a chance to close the gap on the Red Bull racer.
The initial four laps saw Norris in the lead, fending off Verstappen’s early attempts to overtake. However, Verstappen managed to regain his position on the fifth lap, overtaking Norris at Brooklands.
Addressing his sluggish start, Verstappen acknowledged that the wheelspin at the beginning made for a complex race. He aimed to avoid any unnecessary incidents in the initial corners.
“I experienced a poor start with a lot of wheel spin, and I had to navigate my way back up to Lando,” Verstappen admitted. “This took a few laps, and a few more to cool the tyres in the lead, as Lando managed to regain momentum with DRS.
“When such a wheelspin occurs, you lose significant drive up to Turn 1. While Lando was leading, I simply tried to avoid trouble in Turns 3 and 4.
“Later, I encountered a bit of a tussle with Oscar in Copse, where I stayed on the outer lane. But, everything turned out fine.”
Verstappen drew parallels between the low grip at the start and the drifting he did during his pre-event marketing obligations.
He added that while it may have complicated his start, it made his race more thrilling, before finding his usual pace at the front.
Verstappen, Norris, Piastri, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, and the rest of the racers at the start.
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / F1 Flow Images
“I did some drifting on Thursday as part of marketing, and the start felt the same, which was far from ideal. It was honestly quite bad,” he clarified.
“So, we’ll look into this. The last few starts were definitely better. Today wasn’t impressive, but at least it added a dash of excitement. I had to strive for it.”
Additional Reading:
Piastri Worried About McLaren’s “Reverse Gear” in F1 British GP
Hamilton Concedes: “Rocketship” McLaren Too Quick for Us in F1 British GP
Norris Puzzled over McLaren’s Decision for Hard Tyres in F1 British GP
Christian Horner, Red Bull’s principal, suggested that historically, the second-place grid slot has proven to be more advantageous at Silverstone. He credited Verstappen’s ability to remain calm during the early laps for overcoming the initial setback.
“Historically, the second place has generally had a superior start here. But Norris and especially Piastri made a cracking start. The key was to stay calm, and then Max managed to pass a few laps later,” said Horner.
“Max will want to understand what happened and how we can improve. Initially, I thought, ‘Not ideal’. But once he got through Copse, I felt relief.
“Then, I switched my focus to the pitwall. From that point, it was about settling in and maintaining within the DRS.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Verstappen’s slow start
What caused Max Verstappen to have a slow start in the F1 British GP?
Verstappen experienced a lot of wheelspin off the line, which resulted in a slow start in the race. This lack of grip made it challenging for him to maintain a straightforward race at the beginning.
How did Verstappen recover from his slow start?
Verstappen worked his way back up through the field and eventually overtook Lando Norris on lap 5 to regain his position. He focused on avoiding any further incidents in the opening corners and settled into his usual rhythm after the slow start.
Did Verstappen find any positives in his slow start?
Verstappen compared the lack of grip at the start to drifting, which added excitement to the race. Despite the challenging start, he appreciated the opportunity to push harder and make the race more thrilling for himself and the spectators.
How did Red Bull’s Christian Horner react to Verstappen’s slow start?
Christian Horner, the Red Bull principal, acknowledged that historically the second-place grid slot tends to have a better start at Silverstone. However, he remained calm and focused on Verstappen’s ability to make the pass a few laps later. Horner emphasized the importance of understanding what happened and finding ways to improve for future races.
3 comments
The comparison between Verstappen’s slow start and drifting is quite interesting. It shows how challenging it was for him to find grip at the beginning. Kudos to him for pushing hard and regaining his position.
gotta give credit to Norris and Piastri for their impressive starts. Verstappen faced some tricky moments, but he managed to recover and make some bold overtakes. Exciting stuff!
max’s slow start was a bit of a bummer. he struggled with wheelspin and had to work his way back up. but it made the race more exciting, so that’s a plus!