Max Verstappen hints set-up changes on his Red Bull may have hurt him during qualifying at the 2025 Belgian GP, as the team attempts to prepare for what is expected to be a wet Sunday at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
The defending world champion finds himself behind Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc on the grid on July 27 after a mistake at the exit of Turn 1 cost him valuable time in his attempted charge to the front.
Whilst he likely didn’t have the pace to compete with the McLaren for pole, as Piastri was 0.341 up the road, he could have been well-positioned to mount a challenge due to the long Kemmel Straight.
Yet that slight error ultimately saw him slip behind Monaco’s Leclerc, meaning he now has extra work to do if he hopes to pull off his Lap 1 feat in Saturday’s Sprint Race that saw him take an un-relinquished lead.
And Verstappen makes it clear that he doesn’t believe the mistake was driver error as he hints set-up changes on his Red Bull may have hurt him during qualifying at the 2025 Belgian GP.
“I was actually hoping it would help the driving feeling, just may be a bit draggy,” Verstappen told Sky Sports F1. “But it didn’t do that.
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“It was just a bit more draggy and not the right balance. So it’s a bit weird and something we need to look into because it felt like that whole qualifying I couldn’t really push.
“And around here at Spa you need the be committed on entry you want the car to rotate and I couldn’t do that.”
“I would have liked to have started third, that was probably our position today, but Q3 didn’t come together.”
Can rain rescue Max Verstappen and his 2025 Belgian GP with Red Bull?
Fortunately for the four-time world champion, Sunday’s conditions play very much into his hands with his reputation as a rain-master, command of tyre management and excellent feel for grip.
As far as Formula 1 drivers go, when the heavens open, it’s the 27-year-old who tends to be the class of the field with mistakes such as his spin at the 2025 British GP exceptionally rare. So does he think he can fight back?
“In the wet around here it’s always very tricky,” Verstappen added. “Also we have to wait and see how much rain is going to fall.
“Ideally, of course, I’d like to at least be P3, Fighting the McLarens will be very hard but anything can happen.”
