Max Verstappen has admitted that Red Bull’s era of dominance may be “behind” them, as he couldn’t contend for victory at the Belgian Grand Prix after starting from 11th position due to a grid penalty.
Instead, Verstappen finished fifth but importantly ahead of championship rival Lando Norris. Both drivers gained an additional position after George Russell’s disqualification, which helped Verstappen’s championship lead grow. As Formula 1 heads into its mid-season break, Verstappen now leads Norris by 80 points.
While Verstappen was satisfied with certain aspects of his race, he seemed somewhat wistful as he reflected on the past, when recovering from lower grid positions was more manageable.
“The race itself wasn’t too bad, but it was very challenging to overtake,” Verstappen remarked afterwards.
Verstappen’s championship lead grew – but Red Bull’s did not, the team seeing their advantage cut in the constructors’
Verstappen detailed his race: “In the first stint, I avoided trouble in the early laps and ended up in a DRS train, where I basically stayed. We attempted an undercut, which worked fairly well, but with the cars so closely matched in pace, moving up the field proved very challenging.
“From 11th, I think we did well. It was a positive day for the championship, though naturally, you want more. Given our recent pace, expecting to go from P11 to the front again isn’t realistic. Those days are unfortunately behind us.
“But we have a lot to analyze during the break and aim to improve the car, starting with Zandvoort.”
Verstappen heads to his home race without a win since Spain and with a car that is no longer the clear leader. On paper, the McLaren is just as fast, if not quicker, while Mercedes also appears to have a competitive race pace. This is in addition to Ferrari’s strong performance at the start of the season.
Crucially, Verstappen beat Norris to the flag – with the McLaren man his closest challenger this season
With Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc, Norris, Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton, and George Russell all securing wins this season, Verstappen acknowledges he’s fortunate that points are being distributed among his rivals. This distribution is helping his quest for a fourth consecutive world title.
“Luckily, things are shifting a bit, so it’s not just one team taking all the points. We know we have some work to do, and we aim to improve. We’ll see what we can achieve,” Verstappen said before taking a well-deserved holiday.
The summer break gives Verstappen the chance to regroup and prepare for Zandvoort, where there will be significant pressure on Red Bull to recover from their winless streak.