For the first time since 2020, the season before Verstappen won his first world title, Red Bull managed 4 races per win after the Belgium Grand Prix, the last round before the sport’s existing summer break.
Verstappen, who had started 11th due to a grid penalty, and his teammate Sergio Pérez finished fourth and 7th at Spa-Francorchamps after a race in which Mercedes took a special step forward and first finished with a double before after George Russell was disqualified.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished ahead of leader Red Bull.
And with McLaren and Mercedes having made big gains so far this season to split the last four wins between them, Verstappen suggested that Red Bull clearly no longer had F1’s quickest car.
“They are ahead of us,” Verstappen told Sky Sports F1.
“It depends. Sometimes McLaren, Mercedes.
“I think we were faster than Ferrari, but coming from 11th place we didn’t have enough time to overtake them. We know we have work to do. “
“We know we have to do better, of course we’re satisfied with that, but they’re all doing a wonderful job and you have to take your hat off as well. “
Recent races have shown a shout out loud since the start of the season when Verstappen won 4 of the first five races, then 3 of the next five, to identify an early lead in the drivers’ championship.
His credit over his closest rival Lando Norris remains a comfortable 78 points, and Verstappen’s cause helped by the fact that form has fluctuated between other groups in recent races and he remains the only driving force this season to win back-to-back races.
Verstappen’s lead remains just above the issues of 3 race wins with 10 grands prix and 3 sprints to come in 2024.
But Red Bull’s lead in the constructors’ championship has become much more precarious amid Perez’s continued struggles for fitness, with McLaren now with just 42 problems. The gap between the two groups was 115 problems after the first six rounds of the season.
Reflecting on his fourth position since his Spa grid penalty, Verstappen said: “If you had had P1 where I qualified, my race would probably have been very different and then maybe you can fight for the win,” Verstappen said.
“But of course we accept that penalty, you start in 11th position and then get stuck in traffic on a track where tyre life and overheating are crucial, it’s a tricky race.
In terms of absolute consistency, McLaren has been the standard-bearer on the grid in recent months with the team on a run of 10 consecutive podiums, the Woking team’s run since achieving one. thirteen in a row in 2011-2012.
They have also been the most successful team in the last 8 races.
But the team has insisted that this does not mean it has the fastest car from circuit to circuit, even if its rivals disagree.
“He’s one of the fastest,” said Oscar Piastri of his impressive MCL38 car.
“In Budapest we were the fastest. [In Belgium], for my part, I made too many mistakes in qualifying and it ended up costing us a bit. But we are very close. “
“If we are the fastest, it’s not much. I think Red Bull was very quick this weekend, only Max got caught in the dirty air. Mercedes is obviously also very strong, but we probably had a bit of an advantage, but it’s still not the track position to capitalise on that. “
Meanwhile, Mercedes are also enjoying their run in the current era of ground effect regulations, with the former champions heading into the summer with 3 wins in 4 race weekends.
Two of those wins have been achieved by Lewis Hamilton, whose moment in Belgium he inherited after team-mate Russell ruled out the car due to lack of weight, and he admits his sudden resurgence surprised them as much as everyone else.
“I think it’s fantastic that the game has groups and drivers so close,” Hamilton said.
“And, you know, the pedigree of the most sensible runners today is elitist and incredible.
“We didn’t expect to race with the McLarens or the Red Bulls at this level of the season, you know, with the way we started. So for us to have closed now. . . it’s going to be a fight. “It’s a moment of the season, that’s for sure. “
Formula 1 returns after the summer break with the Netherlands Grand Prix in Zandvoort from 23-25 August, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream any and all F1 races and more with a NOW Sports Month subscription – no contract, cancel anytime