Next to the winner’s box the name is always the same, that of Max Verstappen, now more and more in a world apart, made up of a superiority that is difficult to scratch. Looking at the data alone, one could speak of the seven seconds inflicted on the runner-up in just eleven laps, but the main aspect that showcased Saturday’s sprint is his total confidence in the middle, as demonstrated by the splits recorded in the first two laps and the pace set for the entire duration of the race.
However, beyond the now classic moment of glory of the two-time world champion, the Belgian Saturday also offered other interesting topics, such as Oscar Piastri’s first “podium” in Formula 1, even if it almost represents a half-smile, since he came in the sprint and not in the main race on Sunday. The decision to stop immediately in the pits paid off, not only because it allowed him to overtake Verstappen, who had instead stayed out so as not to get mixed up in the pit lane traffic, but also because it gave him a small buffer of more than three seconds on the more direct followers, starting with Pierre Gasly.
If the comeback of the Red Bull Dutchman was impossible to avoid given the required pace, unattainable for any opponent, the fight for the podium was quite different, which Piastri managed with authority by exploiting the strengths of his MCL60.
Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL60, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Since Friday, thanks to good downforce qualities also due to the choice of a more loaded wing configuration compared to its direct rivals, the Woking team’s car has proven to be competitive especially in the second sector, the more driven one. More generally, the MCL60 has often shown good qualities in medium-high speed stretches, finding a general balance that pays off in that stretch of track.
In qualifying the only one to get close to Verstappen’s time was Piastri himself, while Lando Norris, who had initially impressed in Q1, then had to surrender to excessive damage to the floor which heavily penalized the result.
If on Friday the drier track helped the rivals to find more grip, thus bringing the performances closer, on Saturday under the rain the strengths deriving from the team’s technical choices came out. In fact, bearing in mind the data from the first qualifying session of the weekend, it can be appreciated that the gap between the Woking cars and their closest rivals, such as Ferrari and Mercedes, is around at least six tenths. A considerable delta, but which nonetheless allowed the other teams to exploit their advantage in terms of top speed to beat McLaren on the flying lap, exceeding 15 km/h in certain points.
Time in the second sector | Qualifying (Friday) | Shootout on Saturday |
Plates | 45,852 | 47,471 (records) |
Verstappen | 45,697 (records) | 48,167 |
Leclerc | 46,400 | 48,634 |
Hamilton | 46.505 | 49.145 |
Conversely, on Saturday, with a wetter asphalt than the day before, this difference widened even further, reaching nine tenths. It is precisely in this scenario, where the load generated plays an even more decisive role, that McLaren was able to really make a difference, guaranteeing the drivers the confidence needed to attack on the road. An aspect well highlighted also by the telemetric data, both against Max Verstappen and the two Ferraris, especially from Brussels onwards, as in the legendary Pouhon curve or in the following rapid chicane.
A choice that, in the wet, has clearly paid off, reducing the specific weight of the gap accumulated on the straights, an aspect that is still critical for a team that has been looking for aerodynamic efficiency since the beginning of the year. Even when the asphalt progressively approached the crossover area, Piastri maintained a good pace, trying to manage the overheating of the tires which affected all the riders.
The Team Principal is also convinced of this, according to which, if it doesn’t rain in the race, the challenge could prove more complicated than expected: “Today [l’ala più carica] it certainly helped our performance thanks to a little more downforce, at the cost of more aerodynamic drag. So, in these conditions, as we already saw in qualifying, it helps a lot in the second sector and also allows us to gain a little in Eau Rouge”.
Plate Comparison – Verstappen Shootout Spa
Photo by: Gianluca D’Alessandro
However, with a dry race, the situation could change and leave McLaren more exposed to the top speeds of Ferrari which, among other things, will also start from the most coveted spot on the grid. This can also be seen by observing Norris’s race, who remained in traffic for a long time: losing several tenths on strides, especially when the battery no longer has the charge necessary to provide the right support, causing an accentuated derating, the gap with opponents widens, making it difficult to compensate in the central sector. Furthermore, there will be the uncertainty of tire management, which Andrea Stella hopes will be able to turn in favor of the Woking-based team, helping to make the difference over the long run.
“At the same time, however, [questa scelta] it leaves us vulnerable in some situations tomorrow, such as after the start and the restarts with the Safety Car. So we are aware of it, we will try to mitigate it”, added Stella, who in any case defined the choice as the best ratio between “gain and risk”, avoiding splitting the solutions between the two standard bearers.
In fact, while preparing the Grand Prix in the factory, the Woking team identified that this could be the right load level to bring out the single-seater’s strengths rather than cover those where there are some gaps, as had already happened in other dating like saudi arabia. However, McLaren’s hope is that this choice doesn’t prove to be a double-edged sword in the race, especially when compared to Ferrari and Mercedes.
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