Can Verstappen keep his cool as pressure grows? Belgian GP talking points · RaceFans

Max Verstappen failed to keep his cool in Hungary and it cost him. Will he do better at Spa – and are Red Bull considering an engine change and penalty for him?

He has no shortage of rivals lining up to capitalise, though none of them have managed to win more than one race yet, something which surely has to change soon. And with a fresh new surface we could see some seriously quick lap times at one of F1’s fastest circuits.

Here are the talking points for the Belgian Grand Prix.

Verstappen feeling the heat?

As the Formula 1 season passed its halfway point at Silverstone it had become clear that part two of the championship was not going to be as straightforward for runaway leader Verstappen as part one had been. First McLaren, then Mercedes emerged as genuine contenders for victory.

Given his substantial lead in the championship, consistent points-gathering should be sufficient for Verstappen to seal his fourth title. But that kind of conservatism doesn’t come naturally to him, and in Hungary his maximum-aggression approach backfired as he tangled with Lewis Hamilton. Given the penalties Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz Jnr picked up for similar incidents earlier this year, Verstappen should count himself fortunate not to have got into trouble.

Will this weekend be a continuation of the belligerence on the track and on his radio we saw last weekend? Or will Verstappen decide that reining it in may represent his best path to the title?

Engine changes?

Spa’s long straights make it a useful venue to have a fresh engine and the relative ease of overtaking makes qualifying further down the grid less of a disadvantage. Any drivers already at the limit for their number of power unit components should therefore consider making a change.

Step forward Verstappen, who has taken engine change penalties at this race for the last two years in a row and is once again up at his limit. It would be no surprise to see Red Bull make another change here, but he may well not be the only one.

Will anyone double up?

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Spa-Francorchamps, 2023 — Piastri showed excellent speed at Spa last year

The good news for Verstappen is that none of his rivals have managed to win more than a single race so far this year. Will any of them double up this weekend?

The strongest candidate could be F1’s newest winner, Oscar Piastri. He performed superbly at Spa last year, out-qualifying Lando Norris in sprint race and grand prix qualifying.

Expect Norris to be a threat again this weekend, while the track layout and expected lower temperatures should suit Mercedes better than the Hungaroring did. Ferrari have sunk back to fourth-quickest team and Spa’s high-speed corners could expose their key weakness – the bouncing which developed after their last major upgrade. The team previously considered reverting to and older specification for this weekend.

RB vs Haas – and Aston Martin?

Haas failed to continue their recent run of good results in Hungary as the high downforce track did not suit their recently upgraded car. But the VF-24 is likely to suit this track much better. “We’ve been efficient on long straights so our strengths should come out and shine here,” said Kevin Magnussen.

That should give them the chance to further close on RB, who are just six points ahead of them in the championship. Aston Martin look out of reach for these two teams, as they are another 36 points clear of RB, but if they haven’t got on top of their recent problems and slip out of points contention, they could face a grim second half of the season.

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Last chances for Perez and Sargeant?

Sergio Perez, Red Bull, Hungaroring, 2024 — Perez can ill afford more trouble in qualifying

The Belgian Grand Prix is the final race before the summer break and it could be an anxious one for two drivers whose places in their teams have been thrown into doubt.

Sergio Perez compromised his weekend again in Hungary by crashing in qualifying. Although he did a solid job to salvage seventh place on Sunday, this is still well below what his Red Bull is capable of. Is a lack of compelling alternatives the only thing keeping him in the seat?

Logan Sargeant’s demeanour in Hungary was taken by many as a sign that he fears he could be without a drive soon. Speculation has linked Mercedes junior driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli with that seat, and after taking his second win in Formula 2 last weekend his backers could justifiably conclude there’s less for him to learn in that category than Formula 1.

Record-breaking speeds?

Around half of Spa-Francorchamps, the longest circuit in Formula 1, has been resurfaced ahead of this year’s race. The work was completed several weeks ago, allowing plenty of time for the surface to mature.

Pirelli expect to see “a significant reduction in lap times and a considerable increase in the grip level on the resurfaced sections.” Will we therefore see record-breaking lap times?

Wet conditions meant last year’s lap times didn’t approach the best of 2022, when Verstappen posted a best of 1’43.665. The record was set in 2020 by Hamilton, who lapped in 1’41.252. With two years of car development plus a grippier surface, that could come under threat if – and this is always a big ‘if’ at Spa – it stays dry.

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