The four-time world champion expects this weekend’s British Grand Prix to be one of the toughest tests yet for the new-generation machinery, with Silverstone’s fast and flowing layout set to magnify the energy management demands of the current regulations.
Verstappen made the admission after finishing second at the Austrian Grand Prix, where Red Bull showed improved pace with its latest upgrade package.
Asked about Red Bull’s chances at Silverstone, Verstappen immediately pointed to how unnatural the circuit felt during his simulator preparation.
“Silverstone, I love the track, but I did a few laps on the simulator and I just started laughing,” Verstappen said.
“It felt like a different track, to be honest. You barely have battery around the lap.
“It’s just constantly flat [on the throttle]. 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.
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“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 [of electrical energy] to spend.
“It’s going to be a tough one.”
The new-for-2026 regulations have placed a heavier emphasis on electrical deployment, with drivers forced to manage battery usage carefully across a lap.
That has created major differences between circuits, with venues such as Monaco and Austria proving more natural because of their slower corners and heavy braking zones.
Silverstone, however, is expected to be a different challenge with its long, high-speed sections offering fewer major braking zones for energy recovery.
That means drivers are likely to run short of electrical deployment before some of the circuit’s most famous corners.
Verstappen has been one of the most outspoken critics of the new cars since the start of the season, having previously labelled the regulations “anti-racing” amid concerns about how much energy saving is required.
Those concerns have already been evident at high-speed tracks such as Albert Park and Suzuka, where battery depletion changed the way drivers attacked the lap.
Silverstone now shapes as another major test of the concept, despite being one of Verstappen’s favourite circuits.
While Red Bull’s Austrian upgrade gave Verstappen his most competitive race of the season, he warned that the British Grand Prix would present a very different question for the RB22.
“Let’s take it race by race,” Verstappen said.
The Dutchman sits in seventh in the drivers’ standings, 98 points behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli.
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