Max Verstappen did not display eye-catching pace during the British Grand Prix weekend, but brilliant strategy calls saved his race. F1Technical’s senior writer Balazs Szabo analyses the most critical part of the Silverstone round.

Last Sunday’s British Grand Prix saw reigning world champion Max Verstappen struggle for pace. The Red Bull man started from fourth place on the grid, but he quickly beat Lando Norris on the opening lap to become the Mercedes drivers’ closest challenger.

However, the championship runaway leader was unable to stay close to the leading duo, suffering from relatively high tyre degradation.

After the race, Verstappen noted that they “just didn’t have the pace. I was slowly dropping back when it mattered in the beginning.”

When it started to rain on Lap 19, Verstappen was dropping back even more. The Dutchman admitted that he had tried to avoid taking any unnecessary risks.

“When it started to rain for the first time, of course I was already dropping back,” the 26-year-old said. “I was struggling for grip, so I didn’t want to take too many risks. I saw the guys ahead of me, they were really going for it.

“I just tried to hang in there, not going off the track, and that was quite tricky. But then at one point it really started to come down and then it was quite obvious that you had to go to the inters.”

The real turning point arrived on Lap 37. The track was drying up quickly with the sun having beating down. However, it was still a little bit damper than at the beginning of the race.

The conversation between Verstappen and his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase revealed how excellent the pair worked together when the field switched back from inters to slicks.

The Italian-British engineer was monitoring the constantly evolving conditions, listening to the feedback from other drivers while also asking Verstappen to give updates.

On Lap 38, Verstappen was still reluctant to pit, but when Lambiase warned Verstappen about Hamilton’s decision to pit for slicks, the Dutchman quickly changed his mind and elected to follow suit.

Reflecting on the crucial strategy calls, the three-time world champion noted: “It didn’t look great at some point, I was really thinking, ‘Are we going to finish fifth, sixth?’ But we made the right calls. Going from the slicks to the inters, and then also from the inters back to the slicks, I think it was every time the right lap.

“Then also at the end the call from the team to be on the hard tyre instead of the soft was definitely helping me out, and that’s why I think we also finished second today.

“ It could have been a lot worse, but with making the right calls we still got onto the podium and I’m of course very happy with that,” concluded Verstappen.

Lap 37

Lambiase: “Still happy staying out for the moment, Max?”
Verstappen: “Yeah.”
< strong >Lambiase: “You‘re faster than the cars ahead, keep it going.”

Lap 38

Verstappen: “Here it’s getting more and more dry. Keep an eye on people on slicks.”
Lambiase: “Nobody on slicks just yet, Max, but people are talking about it.”
Moments later:
Lambiase: “How does it compare to the laps to grid?”
Verstappen: “Yeah, a little bit more wet still.”

Just after this converstation, Lewis Hamilton was told to pit while Verstappen was approaching the Stowe corner.

Lap 38

Lambiase: “Hamilton is boxing, Max.”
Verstappen: “Let’s box, fuck it!”

Lambiase: “Ok. Box and pit confirm, Max! Box and pit confirm. Strat 12 in pit lane.”

Lap 40

Lambiase: “Hamilton on the scrubbed softs, Max. First lap 57.3.”
Verstappen: “What tyres (is) Lando on?”
Lambiase: “Also scrubbed softs. Did show some signs of graining at the beginning of the race, so let’s push on now. You’re on the right tyre.”