Max Verstappen’s qualifying session for the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix failed to deliver the progress he had hoped for, with a bold set-up change “backfiring”.
The Dutchman once again missed out on pole position, settling for a second-row start behind the McLarens and Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari.
Red Bull started the weekend with a rear wing set-up prioritising straight-line speed to capitalise on the dry conditions during the Sprint sessions.
Before qualifying – and following Verstappen’s Sprint victory – the team shifted to a more downforce-focused set-up, anticipating wet weather for Sunday.
This change didn’t initially affect Verstappen’s progress through Q1 and Q2, but his first Q3 lap on older tyres lacked grip, leaving him half a second down in third.
His second run was no better. A significant amount of wheelspin at the start compromised his exit from Turn 1, leaving him too much to recover despite strong middle and final sector times.
After the session, Verstappen, who dropped to fourth place behind Charles Leclerc, revealed why his RB21 had suddenly lost pace compared to earlier in the weekend.
“Q3 wasn’t very good for whatever reason, the first set just didn’t have the same grip,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“When normally you make nice progression, I couldn’t at all.
“And in the second set, we tried something, and that basically backfired, unfortunately, because already starting the lap, I had so much wheelspin that I couldn’t put the power down.
“And then the same out of Turn 1, just wheelspin up until fourth gear or something, which, yeah, lost me like two tenths already.
“Now, even with, let’s say, not being entirely happy with the balance, and losing two tenths in Turn 1, then it actually looks quite ok.
“But, yeah, it was just not what I hoped for. It’s still… the balance is not where I want it to be to really attack around here.”
Verstappen cautious on race pace and upgrades
Despite enduring a challenging qualifying, Verstappen was asked whether he still possesses the confidence to compete with his rivals in the race on Sunday.
He added: “Well, normally not, because McLaren is even stronger in the wet than in the dry, because the overheating is even bigger, of course, on an Intermediate, so they have that really well under control. For me, the goal is at least P3.”
When questioned about the effect of the recent upgrades and whether it had taken Red Bull in the right direction, Verstappen delivered an honest assessment.
“Yeah, I guess so – but it’s still not where I need it to be to really attack, because I still feel this car is limiting me to go really fast,” he explained.
Finally, Verstappen was grilled on whether he expects more overtaking in tomorrow’s race compared to the Sprint, given the unpredictable weather conditions.
“Depends on the weather – I mean, of course, if it’s wet and then it starts to dry up, there’s always a lot of chaos,” he said.
“So then, naturally, there will be overtaking. Yeah, in the dry, I mean, once you get stuck in a DRS train a little bit, it can be quite painful.
“I had that last year because I had to start a bit further back. Now, I think my battle, if it’s wet or dry, I think it will be with Charles.
“So I don’t think… If I get held up anyway with Charles or whatever, then McLarens already 10 seconds off the road. So, yeah. We just need to target the podium. I think that’s realistic.”
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