Max Verstappen believes that the timing of a Virtual Safety Car disrupted the strategy of the Belgian Grand Prix, giving Charles Leclerc an unexpected opportunity to contend for the win.
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Max Verstappen finished on the podium at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix, but the Red Bull driver feels that an external factor played a major role in the outcome of the race. According to him, the timing of a Virtual Safety Car deprived Kimi Antonelli and himself of a strategic advantage, allowing Charles Leclerc to come back into the fight for victory.
Starting second on the grid behind Antonelli, Verstappen hoped to use his race pace to put pressure on the Mercedes. But an unexpected event completely reshuffled the cards at Spa-Francorchamps.
A Virtual Safety Car that changes everything for Ferrari
Verstappen was the first of the leaders to make his stop on lap 17, giving up his medium tires to put on the hard compounds. Mercedes immediately reacted by bringing Antonelli in the following lap to cover the strategy of their main rival.
Charles Leclerc, on the other hand, chose to stay out longer. A decision that would ultimately pay off a few laps later.
On lap 20, a Virtual Safety Car was deployed to allow the marshals to remove debris from the track. This neutralization offered a perfect window to Ferrari: Leclerc was able to make his stop with reduced time loss and come out ahead of Verstappen and Antonelli.
A turnaround that allowed the Monegasque to temporarily take the lead of the race.
Verstappen feels he lost an opportunity
Although Antonelli eventually managed to retake the lead and claim his sixth win of the season, Verstappen never found the same pace to fight for the top positions. The Dutchman had to settle for third place on the podium.
Asked after the race, the four-time world champion acknowledged that the strategy was heavily influenced by this neutralization at the worst possible moment for Red Bull and Mercedes.
“I gave everything during the race. The first stint wasn’t too bad, but the second was probably a bit more complicated. At the same time, I think Kimi and I were a bit unlucky with the Virtual Safety Car” explained Verstappen.
Despite this frustration, the Red Bull driver considers his podium a positive result: “To be back on the podium is very good. I gave everything I had, and I think in the end third place is a good result.”
Leclerc still believes in victory
For his part, Charles Leclerc did not hide his satisfaction after securing a second consecutive podium, a first this season following his win at Silverstone.
The Ferrari driver acknowledges, however, that luck played a role in his excellent result at Spa.
“I believed in it until the end. We obviously had a bit of luck with the Virtual Safety Car arriving at the right moment for us” confided the Monegasque.
Leclerc nevertheless highlighted the progress made by Ferrari, while noting that some difficulties remain. After experiencing problems with the front axle during his first stint on hard tires, he found better feelings towards the end of the race.
“There is still work to be done, but it is clearly a step forward” he added.
With this second place, Leclerc confirms Ferrari’s recent rise in form, while Verstappen will have to wait a little longer to return to the top step of the podium.
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