Verstappen declines battery battle verdict: 'I’m not going to say anything more about it'

Ahead of the Silverstone weekend, Verstappen warned that the circuit's layout would make battery management particularly challenging. After completing a few simulator laps, he said the 2026 cars made the track feel completely different, with very little opportunity to recover energy due to the number of flat-out sections.

He explained that, unlike circuits with long straights followed by heavy braking zones, Silverstone offers far fewer chances to recharge the battery. With high-speed corners leading onto the straights, drivers would have limited energy to deploy, making battery management one of the biggest challenges of the weekend.

So far, the battery concerns have been far less pronounced than initially feared, at least in qualifying. During the Sprint, however, the issue became slightly more apparent, with several overtakes featuring significant speed differences, including Kimi Antonelli's pass on Lewis Hamilton for the lead.

When Viaplay pointed out the battery-related battles seen during the race, including the fights influenced by energy deployment, the four-time world champion declined to elaborate further, saying he had nothing more to add on the subject: “That is how it is. You can overtake on one straight and then you don't have battery for the next straight. I’m not going to say anything more about it.”

As for his start, where he lost significant ground to those around him, Verstappen explained that excessive wheelspin off the line had compromised his launch. Once the clutch was released, the car struggled to find grip, forcing him to wait before he could accelerate properly. Although he managed to recover to where he expected to be, he admitted the car lacked pace in both the slow- and high-speed corners while also suffering from higher tyre degradation.