Max Verstappen is unsure about Red Bull’s competitiveness against its competitors in Spa-Francorchamps this weekend due to various unknowns, while the possibility of a 10-place grid penalty further shadows the Dutchman’s prospects.
After losing a power unit in last month’s Canadian Grand Prix, Red Bull were forced to add a new engine to Verstappen’s lineup.
Strategically, Spa is a favorable place to make a PU change and incur a grid penalty because of the circuit’s possibility for overtaking, which should offset the cost of starting farther back.
“Likely, yes. But I knew it was coming. “It’s not surprising to me,” said the championship leader of his potential grid slide in Belgium.
“We’ll find out on Sunday how good it is, right? Naturally, some tracks outperform others. Of course, in a street circuit, you don’t want an engine penalty. So, most likely, it will be here.
Despite winning the last three Belgian Grand Prix, Verstappen’s recent form has been less dominant, with no victories in Austria, the United Kingdom, or Hungary.
When asked if the scenario seemed different than in previous years, and if the goal this weekend would be damage containment, Verstappen replied, “Probably yes.”
“If you look at our last few races, where we haven’t been the fastest, I don’t think we have a chance of winning with ten positions additional.
“However, a race may always be flipped upside down in a matter of moments. We must be open-minded and attempt to make the best of it. That is what we will endeavor to do. At the moment, I don’t know how competitive we’ll be.
“There is also new tarmac in a few areas, so we’ll see how the tyres react to that. There are still a lot of unknowns.
“Obviously, with the weather, a lot more rain is forecast on Friday and Saturday. So, just keep an eye on the weather and see how competitive we are over the weekend.”
Verstappen has already shown his ability to overcome grid penalties at Spa, winning from 14th in 2022 and sixth in 2023.
When questioned about his hopes for this year’s starting position, he said, “I hope a little more, but we’ll see. I’m not sure; it’s difficult to forecast at the time.”
