NEWS
Slipstream Boost: Verstappen Thanks Teammate
In Spa qualifying, the number two driver had to forgo fighting for the top times for tactical reasons. Verstappen benefited from this strategy.
In the Spa-Francorchamps qualifying final, four-time world champion Max Verstappen secured a front-row start thanks to the help of teammate Isack Hadjar.
Compared to the rest of the racing calendar, the Belgian Grand Prix circuit has a very high full-throttle percentage with long straight sections. With current aerodynamic regulations, close-quarters driving has been made easier by reduced "dirty air".
This further amplified the slipstream effect. Red Bull demonstrated in qualifying that this effect can be utilized not only in race duels.
The results of Spa-Francorchamps qualifying >>>
Two Red Bulls in Tandem
Already in the first "outing," an attempt was made to pull Verstappen forward using the slipstream. Hadjar drove almost the entire lap ahead of his teammate. At the start of the third sector, the Frenchman dropped back slightly until Verstappen caught up.
Together, they drove towards the final chicane as if on rails, until Hadjar cleared the way for his teammate, who was approaching with a speed advantage. The tactic paid off.
The tactic was also employed in the final attempt, and it even got close for a moment: Verstappen closed the gap much tighter than in the previous attempt. The Red Bull drivers drove in tandem, just a few meters apart, at around 300 km/h.
Verstappen improved his time again, finishing qualifying in second place behind the seemingly dominant Antonelli.
A Convenient Sacrifice?
"Without him, I might have been fifth or sixth. We are happy to be on the front row and with how we executed this as a team," Verstappen subsequently announced to the press.
However, Hadjar himself did not set a valid time in the final qualifying segment due to his services to Verstappen and finished tenth. But the sacrifice was minor.
The Frenchman's car had its entire power unit replaced beforehand. He was handed a total of 30 grid penalties.
Accordingly, Hadjar would have started the race last, regardless of his qualifying result. The race in LAOLA1's LIVE ticker >>>
