Belgian Grand Prix Sprint pole margin ‘not a big surprise’ as Max Verstappen and Red Bull focus on ‘our own race’ at Spa

Max Verstappen believes that dropping out on Dash pole place for the Belgian Grand Prix was “not a giant shock” because the Pink Bull driver completed half a second behind pace-setter Oscar Piastri.

The four-time World Champion cut up the 2 McLaren drivers at Spa-Francorchamps through the Qualifying session, and can begin alongside Drivers’ Championship chief Piastri for Saturday’s 15-lap Dash.

Piastri and McLaren staff mate Lando Norris dominated proceedings on Friday, topping FP1 and all segments of Qualifying between themselves as Verstappen proved to be their solely practical challenger.

Even armed with a low-downforce set-up to take advantage of the numerous high-speed sections, Verstappen believes the outright hole to Piastri will make it tough to beat him within the Dash.

“Being P2 between them I feel is a extremely good outcome for us and I do assume we maximised,” stated Verstappen post-session.

“I loved it on the market, the lap itself was superb, was good. In fact the hole could be very huge nevertheless it’s been huge already from FP1 in order that’s not a giant shock. We simply need to give attention to ourselves and work on the steadiness of the automotive, attempt to go quicker.

“If you’re virtually 5 tenths off I do not assume going quicker or slower on the straight goes to matter rather a lot. We simply need to do our personal race and see what we will do.”

Pink Bull introduced quite a few upgrades to Spa this weekend, together with a brand new entrance suspension and cooling system packages, however with just one Free Observe session earlier than Dash Qualifying, Verstappen was uncertain of their potential.

“It is at all times tough in a Dash weekend to say precisely what they do in fact however whenever you have a look at the hole, it isn’t what we wish proper?” he stated. “However we maintain bettering, maintain looking for extra efficiency however different groups do the identical factor in order that’s simply the way it goes.”

Staff mate Yuki Tsunoda failed to succeed in the ultimate phase of Dash Qualifying, ending SQ2 down in twelfth having did not match Verstappen for an additional weekend.

“I missed out by six hundredths, I feel that clearly it’s totally tight,” Tsunoda defined after the session. “Identical to ordinary, is a really tight session and every element counts.

“I attempted my greatest, I feel clearly each driver has it the place you look again at some fine details we will enhance as ordinary. A minimum of I do know that it is one thing I can enhance however on the similar time, lacking out like this, it is irritating.”