"Not with that wing": Max Verstappen's blunt assessment on why he made a mistake during the F1 British GP

Max Verstappen suggested that the low-downforce rear wing setup used at the 2025 British GP compromised his performance and contributed to his spin during the race. Speaking to media, including Sportskeeda, after the race, the Dutchman pointed to an unexpected shift in weather conditions that caught Red Bull off guard.

Opting for a Monza-style low-downforce rear wing helped Verstappen secure pole position in qualifying. However, once the race unfolded under increasingly damp and unpredictable weather, that same setup became a liability. The reigning world champion spun during a safety car restart while running in second place, dropping down to tenth. Although he recovered to finish fifth, he was unable to mount a challenge for the podium.

Reflecting on the incident, Verstappen admitted that the rear wing setup was a calculated risk. Red Bull had banked on dry conditions as forecasted, but with rain hitting in unpredictable bursts throughout the race, the car became difficult to manage, especially on cold tires. He explained that the lack of grip in those slippery conditions, combined with the rear wing configuration, made the RB21 challenging to handle, leading to the spin.

Verstappen also clarified that his spin was unrelated to Oscar Piastri’s braking behind the safety car, a moment that caused chaos further down the grid. While the Australian driver’s abrupt deceleration forced others to take evasive action, Verstappen maintained his incident was purely down to setup and tire temperature. Despite the frustration, the Dutchman accepted that even with a higher downforce setup, Red Bull would have struggled to match McLaren’s pace. He acknowledged the team had rolled the dice on strategy, and this time, it hadn’t paid off.

Asked by Sportskeeda how he spun in wet weather conditions, which are normally his forte, Max Verstappen said:

“Not with that wing. It's unfortunately how it goes.”

Asked if it was related to Oscar Piastri’s incident at the safety car restart, he replied:

“I don't think so. I mean, I just tried to go on throttle, but the car has been really difficult already. Up until that point, we're just trying to find a nice rhythm and it just caught me out on cold tires.”

Asked if it was a bit of a risky setup to choose, Max Verstappen explained:

“The weather forecast overnight just changed a lot because up until yesterday, the weather was getting better. Like it was just actually just raining a bit in the morning, and then it would be fine. And last night suddenly, yeah, it just shifted into more severe rain. That can happen.”

Asked if the setup was down to the rear wing or there were other factors contributing to his compromised pace, he replied,

“The rear wing, for sure, made everything a lot more complicated. But overall, I think, even if we had, let's say, a little bit more downforce on the car, we would not be fighting with McLaren, that's for sure.

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Max Verstappen suggests it was hard to predict the performance of the car during the British GP

Max Verstappen at post race interviews of F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain - Source: Getty

Max Verstappen believes his race at the 2025 British GP was a challenge right from the opening lap. The Dutchman admitted that balancing the RB21 between high-speed and low-speed corners proved difficult in the ever-changing conditions at Silverstone.

The reigning world champion explained that severe degradation on the intermediate tires significantly impacted his grip throughout the race. The tricky wet-dry phases made it difficult to find rhythm, and he acknowledged that McLaren were simply in a league of their own on the day.

Max Verstappen’s spin in the wet conditions only compounded his struggles, dropping him down to tenth in the early stages. He revealed that the RB21 lacked the pace to comfortably pass midfield rivals, making his recovery through the field a frustrating one.

However, he praised Red Bull’s strategic decisions, which allowed him to claw his way back up to a respectable fifth-place finish by the chequered flag. Asked about the weekend not being what he hoped for, Max Verstappen said:

“To be honest I didn't know what to expect but it was just very difficult from lap one onwards. Very difficult balance in the car between high speed and low speed. I couldn’t really find a good balance. Also on the inters [intermediates], I think we were degrading the tyres too much, especially compared to McLaren. They were again on a different level. And then I had of course my moment which made everything a bit more difficult, but even when I was behind like whatever p10 or whatever, I was in.”

“I also didn't really have the pace to move forward which was a bit concerning. But then again we made the right call state calm stayed out as long as we could with the inters and that was again the right call. So we ended our fifth which I think in hindsight then looking at it is probably the best we could have done. You know after all the things that happened during the race.”

The fifth-place finish at the British GP has further widened the gap between Max Verstappen and his McLaren rivals in the championship fight. The reigning world champion remains third in the drivers’ standings with a total of 165 points, but now trails Lando Norris by 61 points and championship leader Oscar Piastri by 69.

Despite securing his fourth pole position of the season, Max Verstappen was unable to convert it into a win amidst the chaos of a rain-drenched and eventful race at Silverstone. Red Bull, meanwhile, continues to struggle in the constructors’ standings. The Milton Keynes outfit sits fourth with 172 points, 38 adrift of Mercedes, 50 behind Ferrari, and a massive 288 points away from runaway leaders McLaren.