Max Verstappen welcomed new Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies to the race team on Saturday with an immaculate gift-wrapped triumph in the sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix.
The 27-year-old Dutchman, who started from second on the grid, seized the lead on the opening lap and then resisted all threats from series leader Oscar Piastri who had to defend attacks from McLaren team-mate Lando Norris who finished third.
It was a consummate performance from Verstappen who ran with a low downforce set-up to give him a straight-line speed advantage – for which he was congratulated by Mekies, appointed on July 9 to replace Red Bull’s former boss Christian Horner who was dismissed unexpectedly after 20 years at the helm.
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“That worked out really well,” said a delighted Verstappen after thanking Mekies on the team radio.
“We got an opportunity at turn five and took it and then it was tough to keep those two behind.
“It was cat and mouse with battery usage and I couldn’t afford to make any mistakes, although I had one lock-up – it is so difficult to keep faster cars behind so it was all really at the limit. Not easy! But we did it.”
Mekies was equally satisfied.
“Max was brilliant and all the guys did a great job,” said the former boss of Reb Bull’s ‘B’ team Racing Bulls.
“He was under massive pressure and he made almost no mistakes and the team extracted everything from the car and the tyres.”
Piastri enjoyed a smooth getaway but Verstappen made his decisive pass down the Kemmel straight on the first of the 15-lap dash.
“We have to appreciate what an incredibly brilliant drive that was from Max Verstappen,” Sky Sports F1’s Nico Rosberg said.
“From the outside sometimes it can look a little easier but in the car, he has a slower car than the McLarens, he has the maximum pressure – Oscar was always 0.6-0.7s behind all the way.
“When you’re inside the car, the pressure from Max is so insanely high in that car.
“One tiny mistake and the win is again. It’s so much easier for the guy who’s following, who most of the race did not have anyone behind him.”
The leading trio were separated by only 1.4 seconds at the finish, leaving Charles Leclerc a distant fourth for Ferrari, 10 seconds adrift, ahead of Haas’s Esteban Ocon and Carlos Sainz of Williams.
Piastri said: “I tried my best to snake through on the straight and not give too much tow (on the opening lap) but I didn’t have enough straight-line speed. Still, this is a good result, good points and it’s only the sprint. Yeah, but it’s annoying I couldn’t get past him.”
Norris said: “There wasn’t a lot going on after, obviously, a bit of fun at the start and maybe I could have positioned myself a little better. But it was too difficult to get past Max. He drove a good race.”
Piastri’s success in beating Norris, who on Sunday will seek a third consecutive Grand Prix win, extended his lead in the title race from eight points to nine.
Piastri made a good start from pole position, but Verstappen showed he had greater straight-line speed with his ‘skinny’ rear wing set-up and after pulling alongside into Raidillon, he powered into the lead at Les Combes.
Lewis Hamilton’s miserable weekend continued as he toiled to advance after starting from 18th, following his spin at the chicane in Friday’s sprint qualifying.
On lap 12, Piastri moved within 0.3 seconds of Verstappen, but he was unable to execute a move on the run uphill from La Source while behind him Norris forced him to defend vigorously against his team-mate.
McLaren’s intra-team tussle did little to help either driver haul in Verstappen and he was in charge as he delivered his 12th sprint win to mark new boss Mekies’ maiden race with Red Bull following Horner’s exit.
— AFP