Moments into the F1 sprint at Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday morning, four-time world champion Max Verstappen reminded the rest of the field ‘I’m still him.’
Since the last time the 10 constructors took to the grid, Red Bull has had a bevy of changes and has been the subject of rumors abound. Christian Horner, the team principal for the entire duration of the Hungarian outfit, was sacked. Laurent Mekies moved up from Racing Bulls to the flagship team. And Verstappen has been rumored to end up at Mercedes — though, CEO Toto Wolff threw some cold water on that during the week.
But perhaps, amid all of those changes, the changes to the Red Bull car were most important of all.
Car upgrades + Verstappen = Trouble
With an upgrade package that features a new scoop on the front wing, changes to the sidepod inlet, a new front suspension, and more, the hope was that the usually dominant livery would see it move back to the top after having fledgling results this season. Perhaps that’s the case, as evidenced by the struggling Yuki Tsunoda qualifying at No. 7 for the Belgian Grand Prix (though he finished 11th in the sprint) — a potential reversal of fortune given his recent issues on the grid. But it’s not Tsunoda who will carry the water for the constructor in the second half of the year.
A terrifying sight for any driver: Max Verstappen surging into view in the rearview mirrors. Just because he seemed out of reach at one moment doesn’t mean that he won’t overtake by the end.
Despite ranking third in the driver’s championship standings at the moment, Verstappen is still a major threat to the field. He showcased that within the first few turns of Saturday’s sprint race, overtaking McLaren star Oscar Piastri and never looking back. Piastri (and teammate Lando Norris) both challenged Verstappen, yet he had just enough to keep both at bay to garner eight points.
Second-half season outlook
Piastri still has a 68-point lead over Verstappen in the driver’s championship standings, with Norris boasting a 59-point lead. Yet, with 12 races left, the last thing the McLaren duo (or any other driver on the grid) wants to see is Verstappen and Red Bull starting to form the same type of synergy they’ve had over the past four-plus seasons. What’s more, Verstappen’s aggressiveness in the early going of the sprint shows that even if he’s had one hand tied behind his back, he can still be dangerous. If the sprint was a sign that the car is coming together, he could be a threat for a fifth-straight championship.
Yes, Norris and Piastri (and Ferrari’s Charles LeClerc) all finished ahead of Verstappen in the ensuing qualifying round ahead of Sunday’s race, but the Dutch driver tends to win where it counts most: the races.
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There’s still a long way to go, and McLaren likely has the constructors’ championship all sewn up. But Piastri and Norris are potentially living through one of the most terrifying things a Formula One driver could see at any point in the past near-decade: Max Verstappen surging into sight in the rearview mirrors. Just because he seemed out of reach at one moment doesn’t mean that he won’t overtake by the end.
