Red Bull considered grid penalty for Verstappen: 'Glad we didn't'

By driving to pole position on Saturday, Max Verstappen won the Belgian Grand Prix for the first time in his career. Because there were only a few laps behind the safety car, qualifying also formed the outcome of the race. It could have been very different for the Dutchman.

In front of the cameras of Sky Sports, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner talks about the consideration to give Verstappen an engine change at Spa, thus picking up a grid penalty. "I'm happy we didn't take an engine penalty here," he says with relief. Verstappen has already used three engines this season and a fourth engine would mean a grid penalty for the Dutchman.

Horner reveals that this was a serious option before last weekend. "You always look at all the possibilities that are available and the fact is that you can overtake on this track." Due to heavy rain, there was ultimately no racing in Belgium, so a grid penalty would have cost Verstappen serious points and ensured that Lewis Hamilton could have extended his lead in the championship even further.