Max Verstappen managed only fourth place at the Belgian Grand Prix, as Oscar Piastri claimed victory following Lando Norris’s pole position. After the race, Ralf Schumacher offered advice for Norris while also commenting on Verstappen.
On Saturday, the Dutch driver quickly caught up to Piastri at the race start. But Sunday’s rolling start saw Piastri immediately overtake Norris.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Backstage Boxengasse podcast, Schumacher analyzed the start and pinpointed where things went wrong for Norris: ''During a restart, it's naturally about getting away in such a way that you surprise the other and ideally win two to three car lengths.''
''Especially in rainy conditions, this is very possible. Just think of Silverstone: Piastri tried a somewhat aggressive move with Verstappen, but managed to momentarily disrupt his rhythm.''
''You can definitely do that. You just have to choose the right moment to step on the gas, so that the driver behind you is completely surprised and can't follow.’’
Verstappen the best at warming up the tires?
According to Schumacher, Verstappen is the one who best manages this trick and, the analyst claims, this is due to the warming up of the tires, which is crucial for the restart: ‘’Of course, I don't know how much tire pressure McLaren used, but brakes and tires are extremely important.''
''Proper warm-up is crucial so you, like Max Verstappen in the previous races, can surprise the others time and time again by warming up late and gaining advantage from it.’’
Verstappen was not able to overtake Charles Leclerc during the race on Sunday. After the race, Verstappen criticised the FIA's decision to wait so long to start the race. The Dutchman was not alone and received a lot of support and approval.
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