Red Bull makes a big change that could affect Max Verstappen’s chances at the Belgian GP
Red Bull have made an important change to their car that could boost Max Verstappen’s chances at the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend.
Verstappen has had a tough F1 season so far and is currently seventh in the Drivers’ Championship. Things got worse at the last race when he was chasing second-place Lewis Hamilton but had to retire with just four laps to go because his rear wing failed.
The 28-year-old Dutch driver has pointed to problems with the Red Bull car several times this year. He also got frustrated after crashing in qualifying at the Austrian Grand Prix the week before. “It’s super dangerous because you can really hurt yourself twice,” Verstappen said. “I was lucky in Austria, I was lucky here. That’s why you get really fed up with it.”
The issue happened because his rear wing didn’t close properly when switching off straight-line mode on corner entry. Since Spa has five straight mode zones this weekend, Red Bull decided to go back to a more traditional rear wing.
Red Bull’s team boss Laurent Mekies told BBC Sport that tests after the Silverstone race showed a problem with the previous wing. He didn’t say exactly what caused it, but it seems related to airflow not reattaching quickly enough when the wing closes. Verstappen said on Thursday, “It’s clear why. We’ll use the old one for now and see when the new one is ready.” He’s hoping this will help improve the car.
So far this season, Verstappen has only finished on the podium twice—once in Canada in May and once in Austria in June.
A big challenge for Verstappen and many drivers this year has been the new engine rules, which removed DRS and added a bigger battery and an ‘overtake’ mode. Verstappen has been quite vocal about his dislike for these changes, even saying it feels like “Mario Kart.”
Because of his frustration, he has even talked about retiring or leaving Red Bull. His contract includes options to leave, with one coming up in October that would let him leave before it ends in 2028. There have been rumors linking him to McLaren in a possible swap with Oscar Piastri, which has been a hot topic recently.
Ahead of Spa, Verstappen shared how he’s feeling: “Now we’re just focusing on fixing the car’s issues and looking ahead, but anything is open. Sometimes you get upset after a race, but after Silverstone I reset. On Wednesday I was back at the factory preparing for the next races. That’s how I’ve done it all my career. Some years are more competitive than others, but my approach and how we work as a team stay the same.”
Verstappen’s spirits have lifted since Silverstone, and he’ll be hoping things keep improving at the Belgian Grand Prix.