Max Verstappen ‘looking forward to going home’ as British GP penalty awaits

Max Verstappen couldn't hold back his frustrations in the aftermath of finishing seventh at the British Grand Prix qualifying.

Verstappen is one of the most exciting drivers in Formula 1 with four World Championships to his name, but 2026 has so far been a year to forget for the 28-year-old.

He is seventh in the drivers standings and a whopping 103 points behind early pacesetter Kimi Antonelli, who won his first Sprint to enter Sunday's race in pole position.

Throughout the campaign, Verstappen has directed his annoyance at the energy and engine regulations in Formula 1, famously comparing the battery depletions to Mario Kart and said he would consider walking away from the sport.

Verstappen's frustrations reached boiling point Silverstone on Saturday, as the layout of the course offers little opportunity to shed speed and replenish energy, leaving the battery depleted before the car crosses the finishing line.

That explains why the Dutchman wound up on the grid in seventh position and when asked if he was still in the running for a fifth world title, he bit back. "They shouldn't ask me that anymore... I'm mainly looking forward to going home tomorrow evening," he said in response via De Telegraaf.

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Already perhaps resigned to the fact that Red Bull Racing won't secure victory at the British Grand Prix on Sunday, Verstappen found 'no enjoyment' in qualifying on Saturday and has explained one 'problem' he's found at Silverstone.

"I guess the faster you are, the better it is, right?" Verstappen said in an interview after qualifying. "But for me, no enjoyment, unfortunately. I mean, it's still a great track. I know how it felt like before.

"It's a little bit different, let's say like that.

"The problem is that you slow down so much before the corners. It makes it a lot less interesting."

From finishing second in Austria last month and producing a performance that arguably offered him a reprieve, track conditions at Silverstone knocked him back down, as his future in the sport continues to hang in the balance.

Max Verstappen takes aim at Red Bull

There is mounting speculation that Verstappen could join Lando Norris at McLaren after his camp recently held talks over a potential switch.

And in more telling post-race comments, he appeared to suggest that his rivals are making upgrades to their car, while Red Bull have failed to resolve the car's ongoing balance and performance issues.

"People come with updates. I said it last week. You might look good now but then when people come with upgrades, they take another step forward and then you're lacking again," he added.

"I think that's a little bit the case, plus on our side the car balance was not good, plus the top speed was not there for whatever reason, which we couldn't fix throughout qualifying.

"So that for me is a bigger worry because that clearly shows that there is a problem."

Verstappen is contracted to Red Bull until 2028, but there is a reported exit clause in his contract that could allow him to move at the end of the season.