The Grand Prix of Great Britain 2025 in Silverstone was a race rich in twists and turns, with Max Verstappen in the heart of the storm. The quadruple world champion, who went to pole position, accused pilot McLaren Oscar Piastri of antactive driving behind the safety car, a behavior which, according to Verstappen, led to his head and his brutal fall in the hierarchy. Verstappen called Piastri’s maneuver as a “low blow” and underlined the impact on the temperature of its tires, making it vulnerable to Restart. This accusation, uttered on the radio and then in interviews, still fueled the rivalry between Verstappen and McLaren, in a season when the fight for the championship reaches an unprecedented intensity.

The race started under the best auspices for Verstappen, who surprised his friends and adversaries in qualifying by winning pole position thanks to a daring adjustment and minimal support. Despite a difficult Friday, where Red Bull suffered from an understender, Verstappen made a masterful turn, just ahead of Piastri and Lando Norris. Initially, he initially kept his head, but the rain and the multiple interventions of the security car radically changed the course of the race. The crucial moment occurred during the second phase of the safety car, when Piastri, then in the lead, suddenly slowed down suddenly in the straight line between turns 14 and 15. According to the commissioners, it reduced its speed by 218 km/h to 52 km/h, which surprised Verstappen and forced it to a avoidance maneuver to avoid collision.

Verstappen said that this sudden braking had disturbed the temperature of its tires, resulting in a loss of grip of its Red Bull RB21 in Restart. Relaxed, he left in a long time in the last turn, downgraded from 2nd to 10th place and losing precious points in the championship. He expressed his frustration on the radio: “He played dirty!” The commissioners agreed to Verstappen and inflicted a ten -second penalty in Piastri for violation of article 55.15, which prohibits sudden braking behind the safety car. This penalty cost the victory to Piastri, who returned to his teammate Norris, while Nico Hülkenberg won his first victory for Sauber. Piastri was furious at this penalty and refused to express himself during interviews on the podium, contenting himself with greeting the performance of Hülkenberg: “Congratulations Nico, this is the highlight of the day. »»

The controversy has further poisoned the relationships already tense between Verstappen and McLaren. Piastri, who took the lead in the championship this season after victories in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Hungary, turned out to be a formidable opponent. His aggressive piloting style, which he compares to that of Verstappen but “a little less brutal”, has already given rise to clashes, as in Djeddah, where he pushed Verstappen to the fault. Verstappen recognized in an interview with the BBC that he respected the intransigent approach of Piastri, but his tone was more scathing in Silverstone. “It was not the race, it was irresponsible,” he said, referring to the braking incident.

For McLaren, the race was a soft-man success. Although Norris has won the victory, the penalty inflicted on Piastri darkened their dominant performance. The director of the stable, Andrea Stella, defended his pilot, but the commissioners were clear: the action of Piastri was a fault that put Verstappen in danger. On social networks, especially on X, fans were divided. Some, like @Heart4ver, described the action of Piastri as a deliberate “braking test” which brought Verstappen and Norris out of the track, while others believed that Verstappen had reacted excessively and that the tank was his fault. British fans, who supported Norris and Hamilton, loudly applauded the Verstappen track, even more inflating the atmosphere with Silverstone.

For Verstappen, already at 49 points of Piastri after abandonment in Austria, Silverstone was a missed opportunity. His frustrations reflect a wider struggle within Red Bull, which struggles to manage a car less competitive than McLaren. Despite everything, Verstappen remains combative, declaring after the qualifications: “I will take all the risks. “With the arrival of Audi in 2026 and the rumors of a possible breach of his contract, his future remains uncertain. For the moment, it aims to be Belgium, determined to retaliate. Piastri, meanwhile, promised to learn from the incident in an interview with GPTODAY.NET: “I’m going to fight stronger. The Grand Prix of Great Britain 2025 will be remembered not only for the historic victory of Hülkenberg, but also for a fierce struggle between two of the most intransigent pilots of Formula 1.