‘Max Verstappen’s rivals will have a hard time brooding after his Spa display’

With the superlatives coming in thick and fast after Max Verstappen’s dominant display at the Belgian GP, Timo Glock says one can “only congratulate him” while Helmut Marko warns there is more to come from the Red Bull driver.

Starting 14th on the grid due to engine penalties, it took Verstappen all of eight laps to work his way onto the virtual podium and by lap 14 he was P1 but still to make a pit stop.

Four laps later he had not only done that but had retaken the lead with an easy pass on the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz.

He raced to the victory, leading home a Red Bull 1-2, by 17 seconds.

It was a masterclass on a weekend where Red Bull, and especially Verstappen, out-shone their rivals who had no answer to their pace.

“It was a demonstration for everyone,” Glock toldSky Deutschland. “They will have a hard time brooding.

“All the teams have seen the big strides Red Bull are taking and that Max Verstappen was in a league of his own.

“It was a gala. He implemented it very well from the first second. You can only congratulate him on that.”

Sunday’s result meansVerstappen has raced out to 284 pointswith his 10th win of this season, the driver 93 ahead of Sergio Perez with Charles Leclerc a further five off the pace andfacing the end of his title quest.

Helmut Marko admits it was “easier” than Red Bull thought it would be.

“To be honest,” said the Red Bull motorsport advisor, “we weren’t sure, but after the first laps we saw that Max was significantly faster than the rest of the field when he had a clear run. He drove it home confidently.

Verstappen sizes up Sainz and then passes the Spaniard with ease#BelgianGP#F1pic.twitter.com/OiWi3HrWnw

— Formula 1 (@F1)August 28, 2022

“The ease with which he is currently delivering these performances is improbable.

“Max doesn’t even sweat, he’s completely relaxed. He performs with such ease.

“This dominance is the combination of Max Verstappen’s self-confidence and driving class.”

Worryingly for Verstappen’s rivals, he added: I think there’s still something coming from Max. That’s not all.”

Perez, despite starting P2 to his team-mate’s P14,had to settle for second place on the day.

He concedes the Dutchman was unbeatable.

“I expected more today,” said the Mexican driver. “It was a good opportunity, but Max was flying. He was on another planet and he was untouchable.”

Verstappen reckons it was his best display yet.

“If we look at the entire weekend, it was the most dominant of my career,” explained the World Champion, adding: “The car ran like it was on rails. I could choose where to overtake my opponents.”