Max Verstappen says that nothing less than 15 relentless qualifying laps were necessary to keep McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in his rearview mirrors during Saturday’s Sprint event at the Belgian Grand Prix.
From the moment the lights went out at Spa-Francorchamps, Verstappen was in fight mode.
Starting second, he immediately put his low-downforce Red Bull setup to work, using the RB21’s superior straight-line speed to blast past polesitter Piastri on the Kemmel Straight and take control of the race at Les Combes.
But if that move was textbook, what followed was anything but comfortable.
Verstappen spent the entire race with Piastri in his wake, the McLaren consistently within DRS range and looking poised to pounce. The reigning world champion was forced to push to the limit – and sometimes beyond – just to stay ahead.
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"It worked out really well, that was the only real opportunity that you are going to get against him," Verstappen explained.
"We got it into Turn 5, and then I knew it was going to be very tough to keep them behind, so it is just like playing cat and mouse with the DRS, the battery usage and the whole race, he was within seven tenths, so I couldn't afford big mistakes."
His only error came late in the race, when he locked up into the final chicane on Lap 10. That moment opened the door for Piastri to launch his best attack of the race on Lap 11, but Verstappen managed to fend him off through La Source and Eau Rouge, holding on to the top spot through sheer will and horsepower.
"I had a tiny lock-up into the last corner, but apart from that, it was a great result to keep them behind and at Spa, it's a Sprint win, but it still counts, there were lots of eyes in the mirrors."
Flat Out from Start to Finish
Unlike a typical Grand Prix stint where tyre management is king, Verstappen threw caution to the wind, running flat out from lights to flag in a race he said that demanded every ounce of performance.
"You have to drive over the limit of what you think is possible, tyre management is out of the window, and I'm doing 15 qualifying laps to try and keep them behind.
“It wasn't easy, but we managed to do it."
With the Sprint now behind him, Verstappen remained coy about his chances in Sunday’s full-distance race, though he hinted that there are still decisions to be made on setup and strategy.
"I don't know if [I want pole in qualifying], I have a few ideas of what we want to do, and then try to be as close as possible."
While it may have been a Sprint on paper, Verstappen’s performance was nothing short of a marathon effort in intensity – and a clear signal that even in Red Bull’s post-Horner era, the reigning champion has lost none of his edge.
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