Max Verstappen will start from second position in the Belgian GP of Formula 1 largely thanks to Isack Hadjar. In the qualifying this Saturday (18), the Frenchman provided a slipstream to the Red Bull teammate who, without this help, would have been further back on the grid.
Read more F1: Racing Bulls experience different emotions in qualifying, but praise progress in Spa
The difference to Kimi Antonelli on pole was over 0.3 seconds, while four rivals finished less than 0.2 seconds behind the Dutchman. For this reason, the four-time world champion believed he would drop a few positions without the slipstream, but data analysis points to an even less favorable scenario.
The comparison between Verstappen’s second attempt in Q3 and his best lap in Q2 shows the effect of the slipstream in the final section of Spa-Francorchamps. On the final straight of the circuit, the driver’s speed was up to 15 km/h higher compared to the lap without aerodynamic assistance. Although this difference was not constant throughout the sector, the speed line of the Q3 lap remained above that recorded in Q2, while the rest of the lap was practically identical.
Partial times also highlight the gain. At the exit of turn 15, Verstappen was already 0.495 seconds faster than his Q2 lap. Upon reaching the braking point of the Bus Stop chicane, the advantage increased to 0.921 seconds, indicating a gain of 0.426 seconds solely thanks to the slipstream, almost half a second.
Read more F1: Ferrari believes in a strong race after qualifying session in Spa
If this time were subtracted from his best lap, Verstappen would record 1min45s104. This time would place him behind Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad, causing him to drop to eighth position on the grid, not sixth as the Dutchman himself imagined.
The comparison between the two Q3 attempts also showed that the second slipstream was more efficient than the first, yielding more than an additional tenth of a second in that section of the track. Despite the well-executed strategy by Red Bull, the analysis indicates that the RB22’s performance in qualifying was below the position achieved by Verstappen, being at a level similar to Lindblad’s updated Racing Bulls.
Read more F1: Verstappen reveals decisive help from Hadjar in qualifying session
