Belgian Grand Prix: Red Bull Faces Challenges Post-Rain Delay
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium — Red Bull Racing’s team principal, Laurent Mekies, expressed surprise at the delayed start of the Belgian Grand Prix, which he attributed to the FIA’s weather considerations. Following a successful Sprint on Saturday where Max Verstappen achieved victory with a low downforce setup, the team pivoted to a wet weather configuration due to rain forecasts for Sunday.
The race initiation was postponed for over 90 minutes, with the track gradually drying. Drivers completed a maximum of ten laps on intermediates before transitioning to slicks. Mekies remarked, “I think we are all surprised by how late we have started the race… fundamentally we waited not only for the rain to stop but also for pretty much the sun to come out, and then we still had many laps behind the safety car.”
The strategic shift in setup cost the team valuable performance, as Verstappen, who qualified fourth behind Charles Leclerc—missing pole by just three thousandths of a second—struggled to advance under dry conditions. Mekies noted, "There was very little possibility to overtake… Max has spent every second lap in Charles’ gearbox."
The race’s drying conditions limited overtaking opportunities, significantly impacting Red Bull’s performance, a theme consistent throughout the weekend. Mekies added, “With our choices on downforce, it would have been unlikely that we would have been able to pass them in the dry.”
In a further setback, Yuki Tsunoda’s chances for points were hampered by an erroneous pit strategy. Mekies acknowledged, “We wanted to pit him on the same lap as Max… we simply called him too late. One lap made a big difference… which ultimately stopped his fight for the points.”
As teams prepare for the next round, the lessons from a challenging Belgian Grand Prix will be pivotal in refining strategies and setups moving forward.
