Great satisfaction for Max Verstappen and Toro Rosso in Belgium
Playing almost at home, Max Verstappen managed to make up for starting 18th on the grid and finished 8th. As for Carlos Sainz, he was forced to retire after losing two laps at the beginning of the race due to an engine problem.
Max Verstappen was clearly the local hero of the event since he still holds Belgian nationality (he will become Dutch when he comes of age). He thus had many fans in the stands of Spa-Francorchamps. He was eager to reward them by performing well in the race, despite his qualifying penalty: “My pace was very good, and I enjoyed being able to overtake. I’m happy with today’s race. The car was very good, and we were able to stay with the Ferraris and Williams. I really enjoyed it, and even though some overtakes were a bit risky, they were necessary when starting from so far back.”
He was therefore awarded the four points for 8th place.
On the other hand, Carlos Sainz lost all hope of scoring points during the second formation lap when his engine showed signs of weakness: « During the formation lap, I felt that I no longer had power. So I had to go through the pits. Fortunately, we managed to find a solution and I was able to fight on track. But being two laps behind, I couldn’t fight for much. I was just hoping for rain and to be lucky. After two stints, we decided to retire to save the engine. »
The bad luck continues for the young driver as this is his fourth consecutive retirement, even though each time he was battling for points.
From our special correspondent in Spa-Francorchamps
