Verstappen fumes after Q3 gamble backfires: ‘It ruined my lap!'

“My Q3 wasn’t very good for whatever reason,” Verstappen said. “The first set, I just couldn’t make the progression like everyone else did. On the second run, we tried something different and it just backfired.”

The defending World Champion explained that a setup tweak ahead of his final flying lap caused unexpected traction issues, with massive wheelspin off the line and out of Turn 1, costing him crucial time.

“Starting the lap I had so much wheelspin I couldn’t put the power down — same thing out of Turn 1, wheelspin until fourth gear. That already lost me like two tenths,” he added.

Despite the frustration, Verstappen still lines up in P4 after his turn one mistake, with Charles Leclerc starting from P3 and McLaren locking out the front row. The gap to Leclerc? Less than the two tenths Verstappen says he lost just on corner exit.

“Even with that loss in Turn 1, the lap looks quite OK. But it’s not what I hoped for. The balance still isn’t where I need it to be to really attack,” he admitted.

Rain has been a constant shadow over Spa this weekend, and Verstappen noted McLaren might even pose a bigger challenge in the wet than the dry. The reason? Tyre management.

“McLaren is even stronger in the wet than dry, because overheating is even worse on inters and they manage that really well,” Verstappen explained.

With uncertain conditions forecasted for Sunday’s Grand Prix, Verstappen knows he might be in for a battle — particularly with Leclerc, who starts ahead and looked sharp in both qualifying and the Sprint.

“My battle, whether it’s wet or dry, will probably be with Charles. I think I can hold up with Charles anyway,” Max said, adding with a grin: “I don’t have any guns already, so it’s a draw.”