A week on from criticizing Red Bull for their strategic decisions in Hungary, Max Verstappen is now hoping that their tactics will work in his favor as he starts 11th on the grid for the Belgian Grand Prix.
Starting from the middle of the pack at Spa, Verstappen’s goal is to survive the first lap and then focus on managing his tires effectively.
Verstappen mentioned, “We have a different tire strategy compared to other cars, so we will have to see how that plays out during the race.”
After the first day of practice at Spa, Verstappen still had two fresh sets of medium tires and one set of hards, which sets him apart from the drivers of Red Bull’s main rivals.
The Mercedes drivers and some others chose to have one set of mediums and two new sets of hards, while Verstappen opted for a different approach.
Verstappen also decided to run a higher wing angle than some of his competitors, favoring a different strategy for the race.
Running a higher wing angle might slow down Verstappen’s car on the straights initially, but it should benefit him once he reaches a DRS zone.
Furthermore, the higher wing angle will help Verstappen maintain his tires better, especially considering the track conditions at Spa.
Verstappen is focused on maximizing his tire performance to make passing easier during the race, acknowledging the importance of being good on tires at Spa.
Despite not being as confident as in previous years, Verstappen sees the race as a damage limitation opportunity and is wary of the strong performance of the McLaren drivers.
He anticipates a challenging race but is hopeful that his strategic decisions will give him an advantage as he navigates his way through the grid at Spa.
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2024 Belgian Grand Prix
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