After a week filled with criticism, debates, and internal reconciliation talks, Max Verstappen responds to his detractors and colleagues in a near devilish manner during the first practice session of the Belgian Grand Prix. He dominates, clocking in over half a second faster than his closest competitor, instantly establishing himself as the favorite.
‘The more criticism, the harder Max drives,’ Jos Verstappen confessed after his son’s spectacular qualifying win at the Austrian Grand Prix in late June. This motto certainly holds true during the first practice session at the Circuit Spa-Francorchamps, Verstappen’s favorite racetrack. With a challenger who seems to be on pace from the first meter, he kicks off the Belgian Grand Prix with the fastest time on the ‘slowest’, hard tire. This is usually a good omen for Red Bull.
Verstappen Shakes Off Criticism and Prepares for a Challenging Race
After a week filled with criticism over his heated on-board radio conversations in Hungary, Verstappen is ready to shake off ‘all the fuss’ in the cockpit of Red Bull’s RB20. He hopes to end his unusually long streak without victories (three in total) on the over seven-kilometer-long circuit where he virtually raced until late at night last Saturday. With Team Redline, he also won the 24 hours of Spa-Francorchamps. However, ending this streak will be a daunting task as he will receive a ten-place grid penalty due to an engine change before the race.
Verstappen Dominates First Training
In the first training, he dominates for an hour, from the first round. On both used tire types (hard and soft), he is too fast for his competitors. Oscar Piastri follows half a second behind, with Alex Albon in the Williams – impressively – third, just over seven-tenths behind. Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Pérez, who is under heavy pressure at Red Bull, makes little impression in the first training. The Mexican is almost a second slower than his Dutch colleague, who seems to be a man on a mission in the Ardennes.
Special 4K Video Cameras Installed in Cars
It’s worth noting that in Belgium, special 4K video cameras have been installed in the noses of the Mercedes, McLaren, and Mercedes cars. The FIA intends to monitor the flexibility of the front wings with this. Red Bull is said to have complained earlier this year about possible flexibility (which is forbidden) of the front wings of the competitors.
