Max Verstappen is overjoyed as he storms to victory at Spa surviving the ‘tricky’ Eau Rouge corner
Max Verstappen had a scary moment at Eau-Rouge where he nearly lost control of his car in the wet.
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Max Verstappen (Credits: The Guardian)
In what can only be described as a sensational display of skill and determination, Max Verstappen secured an astounding eighth consecutive Formula 1 victory at the Belgian Grand Prix, held at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Overcoming a grid penalty that relegated him to sixth place at the start, Verstappen showcased why he is one of the sport’s most formidable talents, pulling off remarkable overtakes and displaying exceptional racecraft.
As the lights went out, it was evident that Max Verstappen was on a mission. Aware of the challenging task ahead of him, he focused on navigating the treacherous turn one, skillfully avoiding the tight tussles among his competitors. With a powerful Red Bull car underneath him, Verstappen moved up the order with ease, swiftly advancing to fourth on the opening lap.
On lap five, Verstappen fearlessly dove down the inside of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes at Les Combes, snatching third place. Not stopping there, he continued his charge and claimed the second position from Charles Leclerc‘s Ferrari at the same corner. It was evident that the grid penalty would not hold Verstappen back, and he snatched the lead off his teammate’s hands in a few more laps.
Speaking about the race, Verstappen told the media, “It’s a new spot, that’s for sure – P6. I knew that we had a great car. It was just about surviving turn one.” The Dutchman added, “I just got a little bit stuck in the beginning in a DRS Zone and once that cleared I could just do my own thing – really enjoyable.”
Max Verstappen almost lost his position amid the rain shower
Despite his extraordinary performance, Verstappen did face a hair-raising moment at the infamous Eau Rouge corner. During laps affected by rain, Verstappen momentarily lost control of his car, sending shivers down the spines of his fans. Thankfully, he skillfully regained control and averted disaster. Reflecting on the moment, Verstappen acknowledged that Eau Rouge is the last place any driver wants to experience such a scare.
Speaking about the incident, the two-time champion said, “That is probably the worst corner to have a moment. It was tricky on those laps when it was raining – you could see it was raining but not how much, and I had a little sideways moment.” The corner underwent major changes in recent years, and despite that, it is still a dangerous corner, and Verstappen feels he was ‘lucky’ to have survived it.
For Red Bull Racing, it was a perfect weekend, with Verstappen’s teammate, Sergio Perez, also contributing to the team’s success by securing a well-deserved second place. Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari completed the podium, while Lewis Hamilton’s late pit stop secured him the fastest lap of the race.
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Rohit Bhaskar
(727 Articles Published)