Max Verstappen was in a different league in qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix – Despite grid penalty, a win for the Red Bull driver from P15 is not unrealistic
World championship leader Max Verstappen will have to start the Belgian Grand Prix from 15th on the grid despite setting by far the fastest lap in qualifying, after the Red Bull team fitted various new engine components to the Dutchman’s car
With his closest World Championship rival Charles Leclerc of Ferrari also suffering a grid penalty and only starting the race from 16th place, as well as Verstappen’s pace being dominant throughout the weekend so far, Red Bull motorsport consultant Helmut Marko is even flirting with a win for the Dutchman.
“An incredible lap from Max. That’s the optimum, you can’t get more out of it,” Marko said of Verstappen’s qualifying performance. “That opens up naturally good prospects for the race. Our top speed is very good and we are now relatively optimistic again for the race. And we are ahead of Leclerc, which is quite important for us. “
Marko expects Verstappen to catch up quickly
In addition to performance, Verstappen also has a strategic advantage for Sunday’s race, which he even managed to save a couple of sets of tyres in qualifying, as Marko confirms, “We only used one set of tyres [in Q3] and didn’t take the second one at all. That means we now have two new sets of soft tyres. That could also play into our cards.”
Asked if victory is possible for Verstappen from 15th on the grid, the motorsport consultant says: “It’s audacious and we don’t want to get cocky, but I wouldn’t rule it out either. “
With Red Bull’s top speed advantage, Verstappen should also plough through the field fairly quickly in the starting phase. “It will sort itself out relatively quickly back there,” Marko said. “With the speed surplus, it shouldn’t take long under normal conditions because, from experience, our car is even stronger with a full tank of fuel and Max is in such form and has a commanding confidence. It’s going to be hard for the others. “
“We are even more optimistic now and I think it’s possible to get close to the podium. Spa is a track where there are always incidents and a safety car at the right moment, then I think maybe even more is possible, because the gap that Max has put there to the competitors is already impressive.”
Second fastest in qualifying, Carlos Sainz, who will start the race from pole, was just over six tenths off Verstappen’s fastest time. “I think everyone was smashed by Max’s time,” Marko added. “That was an incredible lap that he pulled out with such ease, there was never any real uncertainty.”
However, even the Red Bull motorsport consultant is a little surprised about the dominant Red Bull performance: “We are really positively surprised how great everything went here. We actually also expected Mercedes to be stronger here and Ferrari, as usual, is almost on a par. Now we will see what will happen in the race. “
