Max Verstappen does not expect Red Bull to challenge Mercedes and Ferrari in the Belgian Grand Prix, despite securing a place on the front row of the grid at Spa-Francorchamps. The four-time Formula 1 World Champion believes his qualifying position was significantly improved by a slipstream from teammate Isack Hadjar and has played down his chances of fighting for a podium in the race.
Max Verstappen produced another impressive performance during qualifying for the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix. It was not the first time the Dutchman had delivered a result of this calibre during what has been a complicated season for Red Bull, but on this occasion there was an important factor that gave the RB22 a substantial advantage through the final sector.
Max Verstappen says Isack Hadjar’s tow made the difference
Isack Hadjar provided his teammate with a valuable tow along the high-speed sections of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. The French driver was in a position to help because he will start from the back of the grid after Red Bull introduced a new power unit on his car.
“Hadjar is smart and, come on, we’re Formula 1 drivers. We should be able to help each other in this way when needed, and Isack did that,” Max Verstappen explained during the post-qualifying press conference.
The slipstream was particularly valuable at Spa, where reducing aerodynamic resistance and maintaining speed along the Kemmel Straight can have a significant effect on the overall lap time. Red Bull’s coordinated approach helped Max Verstappen maximise the RB22’s straight-line performance and secure a front-row position that appeared difficult to achieve on pure pace alone.
A closer look at the Spa qualifying telemetry also highlights the areas in which Max Verstappen gained time and where Red Bull remained behind Mercedes and Ferrari around the lap.
Why Max Verstappen expects a defensive Belgian GP
Max Verstappen estimated that the tow was worth approximately two or three tenths of a second. Without Isack Hadjar’s assistance, he believes he would probably have qualified no higher than sixth, which explains why he is not expecting to compete with the leading Mercedes and Ferrari cars over the full race distance.
Although starting on the front row offers an opportunity to attack into the opening corners, Max Verstappen expects Red Bull’s underlying race pace to make it difficult to remain with the fastest cars. Rather than focusing on a podium challenge, the Dutchman believes he may have to spend much of the Grand Prix defending his position from the drivers behind.
“Even with a huge tow, I’m more than three tenths away from pole,” Max Verstappen said. “Tomorrow’s race will be difficult from the start. I just want to run my own race and see where I finish.”
“I don’t expect to fight Mercedes and Ferrari tomorrow. I think it will be more about watching my mirrors and defending, or trying to.”
Front-row start does not change Red Bull’s expectations
Max Verstappen’s comments underline the difference between a strong qualifying result and the performance required across an entire Grand Prix. The tow allowed Red Bull to extract more from the RB22 over a single lap, but tyre management, energy deployment and consistent race pace will become more important once the Belgian Grand Prix begins.
The opening lap could therefore be crucial. Max Verstappen will attempt to make use of his front-row position, but his own assessment suggests that remaining ahead of Mercedes and Ferrari may prove more difficult than qualifying alongside them.
Leave a Reply