Max Verstappen’s hopes of challenging for the 2025 F1 title took a major hit at Silverstone, with Red Bull’s gamble on a dry-weather setup backfiring as Lando Norris claimed victory in a rain-affected British Grand Prix.
With McLaren’s Norris and Oscar Piastri expected to be quick around the high-speed circuit, Red Bull felt they needed to be aggressive with Verstappen’s setup to keep him in the fight. But the forecasted 20% chance of rain turned into repeat showers, catching Red Bull out.
READ MORE: Max Verstappen tells Red Bull one key British Grand Prix call left his car ‘undriveable’
Verstappen’s use of the team’s low-downforce rear wing helped him earn pole position on Saturday, but it left him struggling for grip as soon as the rain arrived. He lost the lead to Piastri on Lap 8, with Norris following through three laps later.
Norris briefly dropped behind Verstappen after a slow pit stop, but a safety car period played into his hands. Verstappen spun on the restart, falling back to ninth before recovering to finish fifth — far behind the front-runners.
Piastri had pulled over a 13-second gap by Lap 16, helped by Red Bull’s struggles on Verstappen’s car, but it was Norris who inherited the lead after Piastri was penalised for a safety car infringement and went on to take the win.
Piastri also picked up an extra point for fastest lap at Silverstone, and Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko was frank about Verstappen’s chances of closing the gap from here.
Speaking to OE24, Marko said: “It’s possible if the updates we still have in the pipeline take effect. Temperatures and cornering characteristics would also favour us.
“Yes, [Verstappen winning the 2025 Belgian GP is possible], but the world championship is still over. It’s now just between Norris and Piastri, although Norris has made an impressive comeback with two sensational races.”
Max Verstappen suffered from a lack of rear grip throughout the British GP
Verstappen had already made his frustration clear over team radio during the race, describing his RB21 as “undrivable” due to the lack of rear downforce. That wasn’t helped by the weather swinging between wet and dry, which maximised his car’s weaknesses.
Had the race stayed dry, Verstappen might have stood a better chance, as the Red Bull setup gave him a straight-line speed advantage. But in the mixed conditions, McLaren were simply untouchable, with Piastri pulling clear early on and Norris able to capitalise later in the race.
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