Verstappen Outsmarts McLaren in Belgium Sprint Race

Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium – Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing claimed a stunning victory in the sprint race of the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday, outsmarting the McLaren team. Racing in sunny conditions at the iconic track located in the Ardennes, the reigning four-time world champion seized a crucial opportunity and successfully held off the competing McLarens.

Starting from second position, Verstappen used the long straightaway to his advantage, leveraging the slipstream created by pole-sitter Oscar Piastri of McLaren. He overtook Piastri at Turn 5 and managed to maintain his lead against the championship leader, despite Piastri’s use of the DRS to assist his attack.

“I’m thrilled! It went really well. That was the only chance to beat McLaren, and we took it. I couldn’t afford any mistakes, and it was really tough keeping them behind me. To keep the fastest cars at bay, you have to be flat out all the time. I felt like I did 15 qualifying laps!” Verstappen expressed after the race.

This race also marked a successful debut for the new French team principal Laurent Mekies, who took over two weeks ago, replacing Christian Horner after a 20-year tenure. Mekies praised Verstappen’s performance, saying, “The team did a superb job. Max had incredible pressure for 15 laps, but he managed to contain the McLarens with great resilience and tire management. What Max did today is very complicated, so he was really impressive.”

Meanwhile, McLaren teammates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris continued their battle, with Piastri finishing ahead of Norris and slightly extending his title lead. The Australian driver now holds a nine-point advantage over the British racer.

Charles Leclerc of Monaco, who overtook Norris early in the race, ultimately finished fourth, far behind the leading trio. Lewis Hamilton, starting from 18th after a poor qualifying session, ended up in 16th place.

Two French drivers scored points as Esteban Ocon from Haas remarkably held on to his fifth place against Carlos Sainz from Williams. Rookie Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls finished in eighth place. Meanwhile, Pierre Gasly of Alpine faced disappointment, unable to start the race due to a hydraulic issue with his car.