Verstappen 'merely a footnote' in F1 championship according to commentator

Max Verstappen claimed his twelfth sprint race in Belgium, but according to the analysts at Ziggo Sport, it no longer impresses the competition. McLaren is said to have fully focused on the internal battle between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.

Verstappen dominant in sprint races

Although Verstappen has often expressed negative views on the sprint format in Formula 1, he continues to dominate the sprint races. In Belgium, he overtook Oscar Piastri early in the race and did not relinquish the lead thereafter. This gave him his twelfth sprint victory. "He doesn't like it, but he wins them all," says Olav Mol on the program Race Café: The Round Table.

When analysing the start, there is particular praise for the way Verstappen positioned his Red Bull between the two McLarens. Mol then saw Piastri do the same with teammate Lando Norris at the start of the main race on Sunday. Verstappen secured the top spot later on the first lap. "Piastri himself claimed: I'm on pole, but I'm not sure I'm happy about it. Then, I wouldn't have had him on pole," stated Mol.

IndyCar commentator René Hoogterp sheds a different light on Verstappen's role in the championship battle: "Do you know what the sad conclusion is? Piastri doesn't care at all that Verstappen passes him. He is not at all important for the championship. He finishes ahead of Norris, that's all that matters. It may sound odd, but Verstappen is now a footnote in this championship. They no longer deal with him at McLaren."

Read also

Class act: A look at Verstappen's groundbreaking Hungarian GP pole position

'Red Bull employee who accused Horner has a new position'

Schumacher: 'Verstappen could already finalise that with Red Bull in Hungary'