Verstappen praises Hadjar after pair’s handy Q3 slipstream tactic

Max Verstappen credited Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar for playing a crucial role in securing a front-row start at the Belgian Grand Prix after the Frenchman provided a perfectly timed slipstream during a dramatic qualifying finale at Spa-Francorchamps.

With Hadjar already condemned to the back of Sunday’s grid after taking multiple power unit components beyond his allocation, Red Bull turned the situation into an opportunity by keeping the rookie available to assist Verstappen during Q3.

The strategy centred around Spa’s long final sector, where Hadjar was tasked with giving Verstappen a tow through the Blanchimont sweep and towards the final chicane.

The plan was not without risk, but it helped Verstappen briefly jump to the top of the qualifying order before Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli responded with a stunning final lap to claim pole position.

Despite missing out on first place, Verstappen made it clear that Hadjar’s contribution was vital in helping him secure second on the grid.

"The car was good and then of course Isack in Q3 helped me a lot with the tow in the final sector, that's why of course I'm sitting here, otherwise it could have easily been P6," Verstappen explained.

"The gaps behind was so close, so thank you to him for that - I think as a team we did everything we could."

Red Bull’s straight-line struggle

Verstappen revealed that Red Bull had spent the weekend refining a car that was generally competitive, but he admitted straight-line speed remained an area where the team was losing ground.

"Overall the whole weekend the balance of the car has been quite decent," Verstappen explained.

"I think we're just a bit slow in the straight, but yeah the car has been in the window, just trying to fine-tune a little bit and yeah it was the same in qualifying.

"At one point we were a bit stuck in terms of how much more lap time you can extract out of it, to be honest, because every lap that I did was a little bit faster, but yeah at one point I mean flat is flat, so there's no more time to gain in corners.

"That's something maybe we have to review, maybe we're too easy flat, I don't know."

The four-time world champion’s final Q3 attempt gained significant time through a combination of a better exit from Turn 9 and the improved use of Hadjar’s slipstream. The combined effect helped Verstappen recover around three tenths compared with his opening effort.

Verstappen jokes about close call with Hadjar

The final tow attempt looked extremely close, with Verstappen appearing almost glued to Hadjar’s rear wing as the pair flew through Blanchimont and approached the final chicane.

However, the Red Bull driver insisted he had complete confidence in his teammate and joked about what would have happened if the two cars had run out of space.

"I was flat out, I would have just pushed him," he quipped. "But he did amazing, I initially thought 'oh my god it's too close', but then actually it worked out well to the last corner. It was close, but I trusted him."

Hadjar admitted the unusual qualifying role was far from straightforward, explaining that managing the tow while dealing with engine behaviour made the process difficult.

Hadjar reveals tow complications

The Frenchman said the first attempt did not work as planned because backing off before the final sector confused the power delivery, causing him to pull away from Verstappen rather than provide the intended benefit.

"What's difficult is to guess what the engine is going to give you," the Frenchman explained. "Because once you stop out of Turn 14 and to deliver the power, the engine is a bit confused because you've stopped for no reason, and the software is confused.

"So on that first attempt in Q3 I had way too much power, so I pulled away from him.

"And the second attempt I didn't have enough, so if anything he was catching me, and I couldn't tow him the whole way, so that was very difficult to judge."

Hadjar’s role may not have resulted in a headline-grabbing qualifying position of his own, but his contribution proved valuable to Red Bull’s cause.

While Antonelli claimed pole, Verstappen believes the team extracted everything possible from the session – and he was quick to ensure Hadjar received credit for helping him secure a place on the front row.

Belgian Grand Prix - Qualifying results

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