Staggered strategy between the two Red Bull drivers in Belgium

One of the oldest records in F1 has just been broken: that of the youngest driver to be on the front row of the grid. The record held by Ricardo Rodríguez since 1961 has just been surpassed with Max Verstappen securing second place at the end of the qualifying session.

To the reaction of tens of thousands of fans in the stands, the young driver knew he had delivered a great performance: « As soon as I crossed on my fastest lap in Q3, I could see the fans going crazy. So I knew it was a good lap. It’s already been an extraordinary weekend. Seeing so many fans around the track and witnessing their support is incredible. I’ve enjoyed the whole weekend. So being second on the grid is fantastic. »

But the Red Bull driver knows he has a different strategy compared to the men around him since he is the only one in the top 5 starting on super soft tires: « I hope the super softs will give me a bit more grip in the first laps. Then, for sure, I’ll drop back a little, but it’s my strategy. I’ll probably pit a bit earlier, but we have to wait and see how the race unfolds. »

Daniel Ricciardo, who finished 5th, believes he could regain the upper hand at the end of the race, thanks to his decision to take the soft tires in Q2: « If you can have a faster car or be a bit smarter, it can pay off. In Q2, my goal was to go with soft tires. It was a few nervous minutes but we did it. I’m happy because it’s quite close in front and I’m on soft tires. It’s true that several other cars in front are as well, but it should be a good race. »

The Australian can also remember that he started 5th in 2014, before taking advantage of the collision between the two Mercedes and winning.

From our special correspondent at Spa-Francorchamps