Max Verstappen’s domination display at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit can have more or less distant roots: in addition to the great talent of the Dutchman and the natural speed of his Red Bull car, a better ability to adapt to the TD039 directive, the length of the track, the introduction of a fresh power unit (which however was also on Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari F1-75 car), the improvements of the RB18 in corners without losing top speed. But regardless of these factors, there remain the results and a race that will be remembered for a long time as a point of reference of Red Bull’s dominance this season.
To give the idea of the immense deficit in terms of pace which Ferrari and Mercedes had as compared to Red Bull at Spa-Francorchamps, the lap time data comes in handy. This table lists the 15 best laps of Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz and George Russell. Compared to that of its better-placed rival (Carlos Sainz), the pace of Red Bull #1 seems unreal.
The Spaniard’s fastest lap was 1:51.977, achieved with hard new tyre and with much less fuel (lap 32). Already on the seventh lap Max Verstappen (with soft rubber, yes, but with much more fuel) does a better lap time (1:51.954), and then goes on the attack once he has taken the lead of the race. And after the second stop, the Dutchman showed a rhythm of 1:51 that was no one was able to come close to, Carlos Sainz (hard tire) and Charles Leclerc (medium tire) included. At the end of the Belgian Grand Prix, Carlos Sainz’s fastest lap would have been only Max Verstappen’s 13th fastest, while Charles Leclerc’s fastest lap (excluding the final attempt which cost him a penalty) would have been only Max Verstappen’s 10th, phenomenal both in lap performance and in tire management.
Less evident, but still noticeable, was the pace of Mercedes: George Russell in the initial part of the final stint had a low pace of 1:51. Five times in the first six laps with the hard tyre, the British driver beat Carlos Sainz’s best lap overall, with the same compound and fuel.
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