Verstappen’s Qualifying Woes: A Crucial Downforce Loss at the British Grand Prix

Max Verstappen discloses significant downforce reduction due to 'tearing the floor to pieces'

Max Verstappen details the severe damage his Red Bull suffered after going off track during qualifying.

Max Verstappen reports that he experienced a reduction of up to 100 points in downforce due to damage sustained by his Red Bull's floor during the qualifying rounds of the F1 British Grand Prix.

In a qualifying session at Silverstone marked by changing wet and dry conditions, the current world champion secured the fourth quickest time. This session was dominated by British drivers, with George Russell edging out his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton for the pole position, leading a British trio at the top.

Verstappen found himself out of contention for the pole position following an incident where he went off track and through the gravel at Copse during Q1, causing damage to his RB20's floor as the rain began.

In response to a question about the decrease in downforce, Verstappen stated, "At first, it dropped by 100, which is significant. Very significant! We managed to reduce the impact slightly. However, it remains substantially high."

Verstappen detailed how his deviation tore apart the floor of his Red Bull.

"The Dutchman described it as incredibly unfortunate," he stated. "I was exiting turn 7, making my way towards Copse, when it began to rain.

"I was aware that the competitors ahead of me hadn't encountered the wet patch, and obviously, they were using slick tires. I recognized that in Q1, securing a lap on slicks was crucial, given the unpredictability of further rainfall potentially ending the session early."

Of course, I made an effort to maintain my pace. However, I did reduce my speed because the rain was hitting my visor, yet it still caught me off guard, and then I had to focus on avoiding a collision with the wall while veering off the usual path.

"However, I found myself navigating through gravel, which severely damaged the floor, and unfortunately, several parts of the car were missed. Despite this, I believe the team performed admirably in their efforts to retrieve some of the pieces and attempted to fine-tune the balance between the front and rear."

"Indeed, that incident significantly impacted our qualifying performance. Despite the setbacks, reaching Q3 was a satisfactory achievement given the circumstances. Securing the fourth position was, unexpectedly, a rather encouraging outcome."

Verstappen has affirmed that Red Bull will provide him with an additional new floor for the upcoming Sunday's Grand Prix, aiming to contend for the win.

"He expressed his anticipation for an engaging race," he continued. "At this point, we might be adopting a more aggressive strategy, rather than beginning in the first or second positions, but that's okay.

"The individuals surrounding me, we seem to keep a similar speed, I believe. Of course, I consider McLaren to consistently perform well in the races and manage their tires effectively. However, I'm optimistic that we can compete closely with them and challenge their position."

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