Prost apologized to Verstappen for Renault failure

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It's not much of a consolation but Renault adviser and brand Ambassador Alain Prost personally apologized to Max Verstappen for the Red Bull driver's engine failure at Spa.

Verstappen's run of poor reliability continued at the Belgian Grand Prix, the Dutch charger parking has car on the Kemmel straight as a cylinder in his power unit shut down.

It was his sixth retirement of the season and his fourth rooted in a mechanical cause.

The four-time world champion agreed that the French manufacturer urgently needed to solve its issues.

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"Six retirements for Max this season, which weren't all our fault, but many were," Prost told French broadcaster Canal+.

"I personally went over to apologize to him and to the team, in the name of Renault.

"Often in a team, at least from what we're seeing from the teams we supply, there are always one or two drivers who have more problems than other, and that's his case.

"He's very impatient, he's very talented and wants to fight up front, so it isn't always an easy situation to manage," Prost added.

"It's unfortunate, and we need to solve the problem. But it's also a situation which convinces us that we must not target performance at the expense of reliability."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.