Max Verstappen takes note of McLaren’s unique rear wing as he gears up for the Belgian Grand Prix. Read on for all the juicy details!
- Verstappen will start from 11th due to a grid penalty despite his speedy qualifying performance.
- Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc starts from pole, with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton close behind.
- McLaren, favorites for the race, will start fourth and fifth after a rain-impacted qualifying.
- Verstappen believes tire management will be key to his race strategy against the McLarens.
Max Verstappen’s attention was grabbed by McLaren’s ‘very skinny’ rear wing as he prepared for the Belgian Grand Prix. Verstappen, who was the fastest in a rain-affected qualifying session, will start 11th after a 10-place grid penalty for taking a new engine.
Speaking to the media, Verstappen shared his insights on the setup dilemma teams face at Spa. He said, ‘I felt more confident on the FP1 wing, so I hope that will also be the case tomorrow.’ The reigning World Champion chose a high-downforce rear wing to aid in tire management, which he believes is crucial for race success.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will start from pole, with Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez in second and Lewis Hamilton in third. McLaren, despite being favorites for the race, struggled in qualifying and will start from fourth (Lando Norris) and fifth (Oscar Piastri).
The new track surface at Spa has complicated setup decisions, causing unexpected tire degradation during Friday’s dry practice sessions. Verstappen noted, ‘Looking at the McLaren, they run a very skinny wing. Seems to work for them, but it didn’t really work for me yesterday.’
Verstappen has previously won from challenging starting positions at Spa, coming from 14th in 2022 and sixth in 2023. However, he expects this year to be different, seeing it as a ‘damage limitation race.’ ‘I don’t expect it to be like the last two years,’ he said, given the speed of other cars around him.
McLaren’s long-run pace has impressed Verstappen, who acknowledged, ‘They look very comfortable out there.’ He hopes to match their race pace, despite starting further back and having a different tire strategy. ‘We’ll find out tomorrow, but it’s definitely still damage limitation.’
It’s going to be an exciting race at Spa, with Verstappen ready to tackle challenges from all fronts.
Source: Planetf1
