Max Verstappen admitted his win in the Sprint Race in Formula 1‘s Belgian Grand Prix felt like “15 qualifying laps” as he fought to keep the McLarens behind.
The Dutchman used the Red Bull’s straight-line speed advantage to pass Oscar Piastri on the opening lap and fend off any threat behind to seal the win.
Verstappen made the move stick at the end of the Kemmel Straight using the slipstream and swept around the outside into Les Combes.
Piastri attempted to come back multiple times throughout the Sprint, but could not get close enough to make a move stick at Spa-Francorchamps.
The closest the Australian came was on Lap 11, when Verstappen struggled on the run up to Eau Rouge, allowing him to close to within four tenths of the RB21.
However, once again into Turn 5, the reigning World Champion maintained just enough of a gap to defend his line early and thwart any late lunge.
Whilst it may have seemed easy for Verstappen watching from afar, he revealed how he was on the limit throughout the Sprint.
“Yeah, I’m just happy that I was able to hang on to it,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“I knew in the start there were possibilities up to Turn 5. We took it and then from there onwards, I also knew they had new Mediums — that it was going to be even more difficult.
“Yeah, just trying to hang in there with the top speed that we had.
“I knew the middle sector was going to be the weaker area for us, and just trying not to make any mistakes there basically- and it worked very well.
“The only thing that I had was one time the braking into the last chicane.
“But also, you’re driving a bit over your own kind of management, so it’s easy to just overheat the tyres a bit too much.
“But yeah, we hung in there and kept the two McLarens behind.”
Verstappen reflects on Sprint’s physical and technical demands
Fending off the quicker McLarens pushed Verstappen to the absolute limit, particularly in managing his brakes and tyres under relentless pressure.
In parc fermé, he described the Sprint Race as feeling like a series of “qualifying laps”, with every corner demanding maximum effort as he drove his Red Bull on the edge.
“Well, it’s basically you’re keeping faster cars behind — so you have to drive over the limit of what you think is possible,” he explained.
“The tyre management is out of the window, so that is what’s making it really difficult.
“I’m just doing 15 qualifying laps to try and keep them behind on the track, where time management is important.
“It wasn’t easy, but we managed to do it. So I’m very happy with that.”
On the braking struggles, Verstappen added: “The brakes especially took a beating because I was pushing them beyond their usual limits, trying to brake as late and as hard as possible to maintain the gap.
“That little run-on at the Bus Stop was just a sign of the brakes being at their absolute edge. But in the end, holding position was the priority, so every lap was a balancing act between attack and defence.”
When asked if he expected to make any changes to the car set-up ahead of qualifying with rain on the horizon tomorrow, Verstappen was cautious but optimistic.
“Silverstone wasn’t particularly fantastic for us on Sunday, so we just need to double-check everything – especially the weather – and then decide what we’ll do,” he revealed.
On the new upgrade package, Verstappen offered positive feedback: “Yeah, I think it’s been good.
“We’ve just tried to optimise the car and add performance like everyone else, and I think we’re doing that. So that’s definitely a positive. We just need to keep building on it.”
READ MORE – Max Verstappen fends off McLarens for Sprint Race victory at F1 Belgian GP
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