2023-07-30 15:21:33
Crushing winner of the Belgian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen preferred to play it safe at the start of the race.
Although he set the fastest qualifying time for the Belgian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen was only sixth on the starting grid this Sunday, as a result of a penalty for changing the gearbox. And if the much higher rhythm of its Red Bull allowed him to quickly find the outposts, the Dutchman was not immune to an incident in the first meters.
The Source hairpin, the first corner of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, is regularly the scene of collisions and accidents at the start. This year was no exception, with contact between Carlos Sainz et Oscar Piastrirespectively fourth and fifth on the grid, which led to the retirement of both men.
Thus, Verstappen’s primary mission was to stay out of harm’s way. “I knew we had a great car, we just had to survive the first corner”he said on arrival. “I could see it was getting really tight, I’ve been in that position before so I figured I was going to stay out of it. And it worked. From there I think we did good overtaking. I just got a bit stuck in a DRS train at first. But once it calmed down I was able to go at my own pace.”
However, it was not at the start that Verstappen experienced the greatest danger but in the middle of the race, when he was in the lead and had a good lead over his teammate. Sergio Perez. Shortly before the halfway mark, a light rain fell on the circuit, leaving the drivers in a delicate in-between, with reduced grip but more competitive slick tires than sculpted ones.
Trapped by the rain, Verstappen was guilty of a small gap in the Raidillon, one of the most dangerous parts of the circuit, but more fear than harm. “It’s probably the worst corner to get a scare. It was difficult on the laps when it was raining because you could see it was raining, but not how hard exactly. And I did a little skid Luckily nothing happened, but it’s definitely a corner where you don’t want it to happen.”he concluded.
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