Late-night gamer Max Verstappen eyes redemption at Belgian Grand Prix
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Red Bull's Max Verstappen is aiming to win at the Belgian Grand Prix to avoid extending his winless run to four.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Follow topic:
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS – A week after ranting on the team radio in Budapest, Max Verstappen heads to the Belgian Grand Prix having been warned to take “nothing for granted” and advised by Red Bull to give up late-night simulation racing.
The Formula One championship leader and three-time world champion departed Hungary in a petulant mood after finishing fifth, swearing on radio and in post-race interviews, having gone to bed at 3am before the race.
It was his and Red Bull’s third consecutive race without a win and he will need to deliver a more composed performance on his preferred circuit on July 28 to avoid extending his winless run to four for the first time since 2020.
Another defeat and his commanding supremacy of the past – he won 19 of 22 races last season – will be forgotten. “Hungary was a tricky race and a weekend to forget and move forward from,” said the Dutchman, who has seven wins from 13 grands prix in 2024.
“We have been working to optimise our performance and get the best out of the car. Spa has always been my favourite track, with fast corners and lots of opportunities to overtake. The fans are also great, we get a lot of support there.”
After winning the last three Belgian grands prix, he will be seeking to return to form with a fourth victory, but he may have to start from the back half of the grid if, as expected, Red Bull, fit his car with a fifth new engine of the season.
Born in Belgium to a Belgian mother, but having grown up in the Netherlands, the 26-year-old always enjoys backing from the local crowd and he may need it as he bids to extend his lead, trimmed to 76 points last weekend, ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris.
Coincidentally, Norris, who was also involved in some colourful “team orders” radio exchanges in Hungary, has a Belgian mother as well. The Briton, 24, will be seeking to reduce the gap further after handing victory to teammate Oscar Piastri in Budapest, following instructions to do so.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has warned that the threat from McLaren, after their one-two finish, and both Mercedes and Ferrari, could wreck their season if they cannot respond this weekend.
“In the drivers’ championship, Max has a good lead – but that can diminish very quickly, so nothing can be taken for granted,” he said.
The team’s influential adviser Helmut Marko added: “We agreed that Max would no longer run simulations so late in the future.”
With Verstappen and Norris each unhappy with how their respective teams handled the previous race, and others sensing an opportunity, it could be a lively weekend.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton secured his 200th podium finish in Budapest and will be a threat along with teammate George Russell, another with something to prove after a qualifying nightmare last week.
Ferrari, pushed out of second place overall by McLaren, had Charles Leclerc on pole position in Spa last season at the circuit where he took his first win in 2019.
He will be hoping their car proves more competitive at a track that is also likely to be faster than ever, with resurfacing work likely to lead to significantly quicker lap times. AFP, REUTERS
