SILVERSTONE, UK: Max Verstappen believes he has a “fighting chance” of creating an upset in Sunday’s British Grand Prix despite conceding that rivals Mercedes have a massive speed advantage.
The Red Bull-driving Dutchman admitted that Mercedes drivers, pole sitter Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, who smashed the track record twice each in qualifying, were untouchable for sheer pace.
But, he said afterwards, Red Bull had a package to close the gap in race conditions and that this gave him hope that all is not lost.
“It’s different in the race,” he said.
“We believe we are a little bit closer in race trim — I don’t say that I am going to be fighting them, but at least we have a fighting chance from third.
“I think my lap at the end of Q2 was pretty good, but you could see very early on in qualifying that they were just way too fast, like they have been the last few races.
“You just have to accept that. You try to do the best you can and that’s P3 for us so I’m pretty pleased about that.”
The Dutchman was a second adrift of Hamilton’s track record lap for pole in qualifying, but has a proven record of overcoming the odds to deliver strong results.
But, he added, he knows his car is not an easy machine to master in the gusty winds that have blown through Silverstone during practice and qualifying.
“With these new types of cars from the last few years, they’re very sensitive to wind because they’re that big and that wide, and especially here at Silverstone you can really feel that,” he explained.
“Yesterday (Friday), for example, it was really tricky in the low-speed corners, but today, the wind changes and it becomes like a completely different car, luckily in the right way, because today was a lot more fun to drive.”
Max Verstappen eyes Silverstone ‘fighting chance’ against Mercedes’ untouchables
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Max Verstappen eyes Silverstone ‘fighting chance’ against Mercedes’ untouchables
- The Red Bull-driving Dutchman admitted that Mercedes drivers were a class above
‘Winning mindset’: Yazeed Al-Rajhi ready to defend title at Dakar 2026
- Race runs from Jan. 3-17, will start and conclude in Yanbu
YANBU: Saudi rally star Yazeed Al-Rajhi is gearing up to defend his Dakar Rally title as the 2026 edition of the race kicks off in Yanbu on Jan. 3.
Last year’s victory confirmed Al-Rajhi as the first Saudi driver to win the overall car category (Ultimate), the highest class in what is considered the world’s toughest rally.
Al-Rajhi said: “We are approaching Dakar 2026 with great determination and an even greater sense of responsibility after our achievement in 2025. Winning the title was a historic moment, but the real challenge now is defending it. The car is fully ready, the team is working as one, and our objective from the start is clear: to fight for victory and secure a strong opening to the W2RC season.”
He highlighted the complete readiness of co-driver Timo Gottschalk as the team looks to repeat last year’s success in their Overdrive Toyota Hilux.
Gottschalk said: “The preparation for this season has been intense and extremely precise. We focused on every aspect Dakar demands in terms of concentration and discipline. Our synergy is at its best, and we are ready to manage the rally stage by stage, intending to fight for victory from day one.”
The Dakar Rally 2026, set to run from Jan. 3-17, will cover 7,994 km, with 4,840 km of timed stages across Saudi Arabia’s diverse landscapes. It will consist of 13 competitive stages, in addition to a prologue stage, with a rest day in the capital city. The rally will start and conclude in Yanbu, featuring seven loop stages and two marathon stages, which significantly increase the level of difficulty and place greater physical and technical demands on crews and teams.
Al-Rajhi has also expressed his desire to compete for the title of the World Rally-Raid Championship W2RC. Since the championship’s launch in 2022, he has finished runner-up twice and third overall once, highlighting his consistency at the highest level. The Saudi star said that his clear objective this season is to claim the W2RC title, with Dakar serving as the opening round of the championship.
Al-Rajhi acknowledged that competition this year will be extremely intense, but added that the goal has been clear from the outset: to defend the Dakar title and move forward steadily toward winning the World Rally-Raid Championship.
“Early preparation and attention to the smallest technical and physical details give us strong confidence heading into the rally,” he added. “We know the competition will be tough, but we enter Dakar with a winning mindset, aiming to deliver a complete season that reflects the name of Saudi Arabia and matches our global ambitions.”
Al-Rajhi extended his sincere gratitude and appreciation to Jameel Motorsport, his official partner, for their unwavering support. He credited their backing as one of the key pillars behind his continued success and achievements in the Kingdom.
