Max Verstappen has voiced concerns about competing in the upcoming British Grand Prix if his Red Bull Racing team fails to address a significant top-speed issue that hindered his performance during qualifying. The four-time world champion managed to secure only seventh on the grid at Silverstone, a notable setback as he was outpaced by teammate Isack Hadjar, who qualified in fifth.

This disappointment follows a strong showing at the previous weekend's Austrian Grand Prix, where a major upgrade package enabled Verstappen to finish second, marking his best result of the season.

Verstappen detailed his struggles, stating:

Two things - the car balance was not great, but also just a lack of top speed compared to the other side of the garage.

• He explained that an issue from the first run persisted, leading to fatigue in the last sector due to the lack of top speed.

The Dutch driver expressed frustration amidst ongoing speculation regarding his future with Red Bull, particularly after recent discussions with McLaren about a potential switch. When questioned about the performance discrepancy between Austria and Silverstone, Verstappen suggested it was not merely track-specific, stating:

You might look good now but then when people come with upgrades, they take another step forward and then you're lacking again.

He emphasized the need for his team to resolve the top-speed problem before considering their chances in the race, declaring:

I don't want to think about the race at the moment. The people ahead of us are faster anyway, with how I feel at the moment.

Verstappen's focus now rests on addressing the issues to ensure competitiveness in the race, underscoring that without improvements, there is "no point competing."

Sky Sports F1 will cover the British GP on Sunday, July 5, with the race set to start at 3 PM.