After retiring at the British GP, Max Verstappen arrives at the Belgian GP in Spa-Francorchamps, anticipating a challenging weekend due to energy management limitations on the long straights of the circuit. Despite this, the four-time world champion believes that Red Bull’s good track record at the circuit can make a difference.
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The Dutchman said he took advantage of the break after Silverstone to work with the team in the simulator at the Red Bull factory: “It was good to have some time to rest and, although Silverstone was a tough weekend, I was back at the factory with the team last week in the simulator. Thinking about Spa, it is my favorite track on the calendar and it is always good to be back. I think it might be more complicated with the energy management limitations on the straights, but historically we have done well here, so you never know what will happen. I will use the special Orange Lion helmet again, which is a tribute to the fans, who are amazing here and have given me enormous support over the years.”
The retirement at Silverstone happened after a failure in the active rear wing system, in an incident similar to the one recorded during the Austrian GP qualifying. Verstappen emerged unscathed from both accidents.
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Despite the FIA (International Automobile Federation) analysis of the so-called “Macarena” rear wing, Red Bull was authorized to use the component at the Belgian GP. The system rotates on the straights to reduce drag and returns to the normal position in the corners. The entity continues collecting technical data from Red Bull and Ferrari to assess the safety and reliability of the concept, with no suspicions of Formula 1 regulation violations.
Meanwhile, the team is also working to definitively solve the failure that affected Verstappen in the last two rounds before the start of activities in Spa-Francorchamps.
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