Max Verstappen Issues RB21 Verdict After Red Bull Upgrades at Belgium GP
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen shockingly managed to split the two McLaren drivers during the sprint race qualifying for the Belgium Grand Prix.
Verstappen couldn't match Oscar Piastri, but got one up on Lando Norris, netting a promising second-place start for the sprint race.
Red Bull brought a new front wing along with sidepod and suspension tweaks to Spa as the team tries to aid the reeling RB21.
Despite Verstappen's exceptional driving, the car isn't consistently delivering results at every track and proves a handful to set up correctly.
Sprint 2nd qualifier Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing gives a thumbs up in parc ferme during Sprint qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps...
Sprint 2nd qualifier Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing gives a thumbs up in parc ferme during Sprint qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 25, 2025 in Spa, Belgium. More
Photo byThe new upgrade pack aims to enhance the car, but the Dutch driver isn't convinced that the changes are effective.
"It's always difficult on a Sprint weekend to say exactly what they do, but then when you look at the gap, that's not what we want," he said.
"We keep improving, keep trying to find more performance, but other teams do the same thing, so that's how it goes."
While the effectiveness of the upgrades is yet to be determined, Verstappen did enjoy his time on track, although the gap between Red Bull and McLaren remains notable.
"Being P2 between the McLarens is already a good result for us. I do think we maximized that," Verstappen added.
"I enjoyed it out there. The lap itself was fine, it was good. Of course, the gap is very big, but it's been big already from FP1, so it's not a big surprise.
"We just have to focus on ourselves and work on the balance of the car and try to go faster.
"When you're almost five tenths off, I don't think going faster or slower on the straight is going to matter a lot. We just have to do our own race and see what we can do."
Red Bull and Verstappen are firmly out of the race for either title this season, though there should be potential for the odd win, and he lines up in a promising position for a sprint race victory if he can get a good start.
Belgium Grand Prix Sprint Qualifying Results
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