Max Verstappen of Red Bull believes he will need a stroke of “luck” to compete with McLaren for victory at the 2024 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix, even though the McLaren drivers are starting in fourth and fifth positions.
Verstappen secured pole position for the third consecutive year at Spa, but he will be relegated down the grid once more due to a penalty—this time, similar to 2022, for an engine change.
Consequently, Charles Leclerc from Ferrari will take the pole position on Sunday, followed by Sergio Perez in the other RB20, Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes, and the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
After McLaren achieved a 1-2 finish in Hungary last race, which positioned them as Red Bull’s primary rival, Verstappen has identified Norris and Piastri as significant obstacles in his quest to navigate back up the order for a Spa victory, a feat he managed despite penalties in the previous two years.
There are indications that McLaren’s focus on a lower-downforce configuration for Sunday’s expected dry race contributed to their drivers facing more challenges than in the recent qualifying rounds on Saturday.
“We are not making it easy on ourselves, particularly in the competitive environment we’re in,” Verstappen commented regarding his chances at Spa following his qualifying session. “I’m aware of that.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, celebrates after securing Pole
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
“Today was a great day, but that was in wet conditions. We need to perform well in the dry tomorrow.
“It’s going to be a challenging battle. We will strive to do our best.
“Hopefully, we can compete with the Ferraris and Mercedes in front of us. And if we’re fortunate, maybe we can challenge the McLarens.”
Verstappen further commented on Sunday’s race: “The weather is expected to be warmer, with no rain anticipated. The key will be tyre degradation, and we must ensure we handle that well.
“I recognize that I will start ten places back, so this was the best outcome I could achieve today. From here, we will see how it goes.
“I’m not sure how competitive we will be. I hope we can be in contention to move forward.”
