2024 Belgian GP Post-Qualifying Q&A – Verstappen, Leclerc, Perez
The top-3 qualifiers for the 2024 Belgian GP at Spa Francorchamps met with the media to answer questions. The fastest qualifier was Max Verstappen.
DRIVERS
1 – Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull Racing)
2 – Charles LECLERC (Ferrari)
3 – Sergio PÉREZ (Red Bull Racing)
TRACK INTERVIEWS
(Conducted by Billy Monger)
Q: Checo Pérez, a good qualifying for you there. P3, but you will line up second on the grid for tomorrow’s race with your team-mate’s penalty. How was it out there for you?
Sergio PÉREZ: Yeah, it was very tricky at times. Obviously, as always, you know, in these conditions, it’s so easy for it to go wrong, as it’s been going in the last few qualifyings in these conditions. And, yeah, I mean, it was good to finally put it together. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any new tires for Q3. We were a bit out of sync in Q2, so we were also quite lucky to make it in P10. And I think P2 is probably the best position you can wish for in Spa, you know. It was the same with Charles last year, so I’m going to be trying tomorrow to be the same. And, yeah, it’s a long race ahead of us. It looks like it’s going to be dry, so we’ll see.
Q: And going into the race tomorrow, obviously qualifying has been a part of your season that has been under pressure, especially the last few races, it hasn’t gone to plan. What was your mindset going into this weekend, knowing that Spa is a circuit that in previous years has suited your car pretty well?
SP: Yeah, you know, I mean, like I’ve always said, you know, every weekend it’s a new opportunity to do better, every day, you know. Tomorrow is a new opportunity for us to do even better than today and go for that win.
Q: And that opportunity… You mentioned the race tomorrow. You will be starting on the front row. What can you do tomorrow, Sergio? Are you capable of winning this race?
SP: We’ll see, you know, it’s a very long race ahead of us. I think tomorrow degradation will be quite tricky, and graining with this new tarmac. I think there are a lot of unknowns still, but I’ve got a good feeling for tomorrow, so we’ll see.
Q: Congratulations. Good luck tomorrow, Sergio. Charles Leclerc, second in qualifying today, but you will line up on pole position tomorrow. Pretty similar to last year in that regard.
Charles LECLERC: Yeah, I mean, exactly the same. It’s good. I mean, I definitely did not expect that this weekend. Obviously, with the tricky conditions, we could do something above our expectations. So, yeah, it’s a good day for the team. Now we need to focus on tomorrow and see what will happen whenever the rain is gone.
Q: So do you think the conditions today, the fact we had the mixed conditions out there – and it looked tricky from the driver’s point of view – do you think that helped you make the difference today?
CL: Yeah, I think that without this rain, probably P5 was the position we were fighting for, with the Mercedes especially. But obviously with the rain, it helped us a little bit. But I’m not going to complain. I’m really happy. I’m very happy with the lap in Q3. And it’s good to be back on the front part of the grid. But now we’ve got to finalise that tomorrow.
Q: And tomorrow you’ll be starting from pole. What’s your approach going to be going up through Eau Rouge on that first lap if you’re still in the lead? Because it could be a tricky race to lead the first lap around here.
CL: Yeah, it’s not the easiest first place to keep on the first lap here. But honestly, I will see it. Every start is different. And then once I’ll be in the car tomorrow through Eau Rouge, I’ll decide what’s the best thing I can do. But obviously, I’ll try to keep that first place.
Q: Good luck for tomorrow.
CL: Thank you very much. Thank you.
Q: Max Verstappen, another pole position for you this weekend. Unfortunately, you won’t line up in pole position because of the grid penalty. But talk us through that lap because that was exceptional out there.
Max VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, it was a nice qualifying. Luckily, the weather was okay. It was just raining a little bit, but at least we could do a decent qualifying. Yeah, everything worked well. Every tire set that we were on, we could just do good lap times. I was, of course, also thinking about Q3, not knowing if it was going to dry out, so I was trying to keep two new sets for Q3, and luckily we escaped in Q1, Q2, so… Yeah, very happy. I mean, the car was working quite well in the wet. Yeah, I could just do my laps and try to do clean lap times in the wet, which is always quite tricky. But tomorrow, of course, I know that it’s quite a different day. It’s going to be warmer, normally no rain. So it’s all about tire degradation. And, yeah, we just need to make sure we’re good on that. I know that, of course, I have to start also ten places back, so this was the best I could do today. And then go from there. I don’t know how quick we’re going to be. I hope that we can be in the mix, you know, to try and move forward.
Q: Coming into this weekend, you probably knew within the team that you were going to take this grid penalty and make the decision that you have. You’ve started out of position here in Spa. What’s your approach going to be down into Turn 1? Because it’s a tight corner. It can really get a bit chaotic at times there.
MAX VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, the race can be lost, of course, in Turn 1, so just need to see what happens, you know, in the start, naturally, and just go from there. It’s a very long race, it’s very hard on tires, and just need to try and manage that as good as we can, and hopefully then we can be competitive tomorrow.
Q: It’s been a couple of races since you’ve won a Grand Prix. Starting where you are tomorrow, do you think you can bounce back after last weekend and get a race victory? How quick is your car in race trim?
MAX VERSTAPPEN: We are not making it easy on ourselves, and especially, of course, in the battle that we’re in. I know that today was a great day, but it’s in the wet. We need to be quick in the drive tomorrow. But yeah, it’s going to be a tough battle. Yeah, we’ll try to do the best we can. Hopefully, we can battle the Ferraris and the Mercedes, of course, ahead. And if we have a bit of luck, of course, maybe we can challenge the McLaren.
PRESS CONFERENCE
Q: A very warm welcome to the fastest three drivers in qualifying for the FIA Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix. In third place, Sergio Pérez. In second place, Charles Leclerc. And fastest in Q3 once again here at Spa, Max Verstappen. Well, very well done, Max. You were extremely quick in all conditions. How hooked up were you and the RB20 today?
MAX VERSTAPPEN: Yeah, it was a good day. Of course, yesterday we tried a few things with the car. I think we learned from that. And today we tried to put on the car what we thought was best. And I think, as you could see, we ran maybe also a little bit more downforce compared to some competitors. So naturally, of course, in the wet, probably it’s a little bit more stable and that can help, of course, around here. But overall, I think the laps were good in qualifying all the way from Q1 to Q3. I passed Q1 and Q2 only on one tire set, so I think that was important because that gave me, of course, a better opportunity for Q3. Yeah, everything was working well, but, of course, today is not as important because tomorrow is going to be dry, it’s going to be warmer, and we need to be good on tires and, of course, starting 10 places back. It is going to be, of course, a little bit more tricky. I don’t expect it, of course, to be like the last two years. Naturally, looking at the cars around us being quite quick. So, yeah, we’ll just try to move forward, try to fight Ferraris, Mercedes, and with a bit of luck, maybe the McLarens, but it all depends on our pace ourselves.
Q: Max, one question about Q3. You were six tenths faster than anybody else after the first runs. Why did you go out again? Was it just to be sure?
MAX VERSTAPPEN: I had another tire set, so I was like, let’s try and go faster. I’m not sure what happened. I was very close to my lap time in places, like gaining, losing. Maybe it just rained a little bit more and it just didn’t give me the same grip. But I mean, both laps are almost identical. So when you have the tires, I mean, you can try and get a better lap out of it.
Q: You’ve said who you hope to be battling with in the race tomorrow. Just strategically, what is going to be your approach?
MAX VERSTAPPEN: Survive lap one and just go from there. I mean, we also have a bit of a different tire strategy to the other cars, so we have to wait and see how that will evolve in the race. But, yeah, we’ll see what we can do. I mean, I’m not as confident as I was the last two years around here in coming back to the front. I still see it more as a damage limitation race. That’s how it is. But at least today was the best possible we could do in terms of the starting position for tomorrow.
Q: Are you more confident in the car here than you were at the Hungaroring last weekend?
MAX VERSTAPPEN: I think overall the balance is a bit better, yeah. If it’s going to be enough to be the quickest, I’m not sure. But yeah, hopefully we can just have it all a bit more under control.
Q: Alright, very well done today. Charles, let’s come to you now, tomorrow’s pole sitter. But let’s talk about Q3. You pulled together a beautiful lap right at the end of the session. Just how good was it?
CL: It was a good lap. As Max said, the rain picked up a little bit at the end of Q3, which maybe there was a bit more to find on the first part of Q3, but obviously anyway, P1 was out of reach for us today. It’s a lot better than what we expected coming into the weekend, and especially after yesterday, that was a very difficult day for the team once again. So yeah, the tricky conditions helped us today.
Q: What about the asphalt? So much of it is new this year. How was that performing in the wet weather?
CL: I mean, the old asphalt seems to be drying up pretty quickly, whereas the new asphalt a little bit slower. So that was a little bit tricky. But all in all, it was fine. I think there was quite a good grip on the new asphalt, which made it quite fun to drive in wet conditions.
Q: So, Charles, let’s throw it forward. Pole position. Are you more confident coming into this race than you were at the same point last year?
CL: I cannot remember about last year. Too long ago, and so many things have happened since then. Then for sure, if we are looking for tomorrow, it’s going to be a tricky race for us. It will be dry conditions. And on dry conditions recently, we’ve been struggling a little bit more. However, the McLaren is a bit further away than what we wanted. There’s Checo right behind. That will be the main target, and then we’ll see how it goes after the first stint. But it’s a good starting position. It’s also a track where you can overtake quite easily, so we’ll need the pace, and that we’ll only have the answer tomorrow.
Q: Very well done. Thank you. And Checo, well done to you as well. That was a great qualifying session for you. Are you much happier with the car this weekend?
SP: Not initially. We tried a lot of things. We kept throwing things at it. And it’s never ideal when you don’t have progression. And once again, today we threw at it a lot of things. I think we found a nicer window, a little bit similar in the direction of Hungary. But we were a lot happier with the car, so I think… Although, I mean it’s on Inter conditions but the balance in the medium high-speed was feeling positive, in the right direction. So let’s see tomorrow. I think tomorrow is going to be a very different day and let’s see where how much we are able to improve.
Q: Given that you only just crept through Q2 were you surprised by your pace in Q3?
SP: I think already I was quick in Q1, Q2. The problem was our run program. We finished a lap before everyone. I think I was P4 or something. But then, you know, when you give a lap away, everything was really, really close. So we were very lucky to be able to make it. I think it was, yeah, it was definitely a mistake on our run program to left us vulnerable, basically.
Q: Alright, and just your thoughts on the performance of the car in the dry?
SP: I think yesterday McLaren looked very strong. But at the same time, we are not that far away. So we’ve done some changes in the direction of tomorrow. So we’ll see. I think after the first stint, we will have a good idea.
QUESTIONS FROM THE FLOOR
Q (Christian Menath – Motorsport-magazin.com) I think you went for the bigger rear wing as the one you had in FP1. Some people might think it’s a strange choice given that you have the 10-place grid penalty, but is it the case that with the DRS effect so big nowadays that it doesn’t make a huge difference in the race then?
MAX VERSTAPPEN: I felt a bit more confident and comfortable on the FP1 wing. So I hope that that is also going to be the case tomorrow. Tomorrow is a bit warmer as well, so naturally probably a bit more sliding. I just hope, yeah, that it’s better for me. But when you look at the McLaren, for example, they run a very skinny wing. Seems to work for them, but it didn’t really work for me yesterday. So yeah, bit of a different strategy also there. And I guess we’ll find out tomorrow how it will work out. I mean, I have to pass cars. The DRS effect is quite big around here, but at the end of the day, I think it’s more important just to be good on tires around here. Because if you’re good on tires, you can pass people.
Q: (Scott Mitchell-Malm – The Race) Checo, after the last couple of months, I think this is your best qualifying result since China. How kind of satisfying is that for you, given the criticism that you’ve had, the fact that Red Bull has said that they wanted to have some conversations over the summer break? It’s perfectly timed. And I think, as Tom alluded to, it could have been so different had that run plan cost you in Q2.
SP: From my point of view, it doesn’t change anything. You know, I’ve always said it’s not where we are now, it’s how you ride the waves and where we finish in Abu Dhabi. I mean, there are a lot of drivers that haven’t been able to maximize their performance lately, but obviously, the scrutiny on my side has been quite a bit higher. It doesn’t change anything from my point of view. I think tomorrow is a new day, a new opportunity. It would have been the same if I was knocked out in Q2. Tomorrow is a new opportunity to do better. And it’s the way I see it. It’s tomorrow what really counts. And if I don’t have a good race tomorrow, I will try to have a good one in Zandvoort. It’s how it is, this is a sport and sometimes it goes your way, sometimes you have to fight and nothing goes in your direction, but I think it’s just the nature of the sport.
Q: (Jake Boxall-Legge – Autosport) Another question for Checo. Obviously, fantastic result today, really good race in Hungary as well. Do you feel like confidence is starting to come back to you after, I guess, a very difficult period for you?
SP: More than confidence, I mean, it’s not like I forgot how to drive, you know, from five, six races ago. It’s just that you see it with a lot of drivers. Sometimes you’re not able to maximize the full potential of your car. And for that reason, you end up lacking that, let’s say, confidence to extract the maximum out of the car you have. I think we’ve been taking good step forwards in the right direction since Hungary. I think Silverstone was already quite good, I had a really good Friday. So I think the season… The car is going in the right direction for now and hopefully tomorrow we are able to finish it off with a strong result. And still, there is a long way to go in the season. So yeah, just head down and I think like I’ve said before, you know, the team and myself are focusing on and what we’ve got to do. At the end of the day it’s getting the most points we possibly can and the rest couldn’t care less to be honest.
Q: (Carlo Platella – FormulaPassion.it) A question for Max and Sergio. How much do you think today result is due to track, weather conditions or a different set-up strategy?
MAX VERSTAPPEN: I think it’s all down to the drivers!
SP: Confidence.
MAX VERSTAPPEN: No, well, like I mentioned before, we run a bit more downforce, so for sure that is good for today. One lap pace is of course important, but it’s more important to be good on the tires tomorrow. I feel like most of the last qualifyings, we have been quite close over one lap, even when I was still not entirely happy with the car or the balance. But then in the race, sometimes there have been bigger differences for me. So it’s important that tomorrow we are good on tires and competitive, of course, as well.
SP: Same.
Q: (Luke Smith – The Athletic) Max, I know you said it’s still a damage limitation race for you, but compared to Thursday when you seemed quite downbeat about your chances of winning, given where the McLarens are starting as well tomorrow, do you feel a little bit more optimistic that you could still win tomorrow’s race?
MAX VERSTAPPEN: Looking at their pace yesterday in the long run, it’s incredibly strong. They look very comfortable out there. Of course, they are starting a little bit further back, I think they’re so fast they will quite quickly challenge for the front, for the lead. And it also depends a bit, of course, how I get through lap one and stuff. But I would already be happy if we can match that race pace. So starting a bit further back, also being on different tires, I don’t know how that is going to work out. Most teams around us have two hard tires, we don’t. I don’t know if that’s better or not, of course, for the moment, but we’ll find out tomorrow. But, yeah. It’s definitely still a damage limitation.
Q: (Leonardo Pasqual – Funoanalisitecnica.com) Charles, how did you improve the balance of your car from Q1 to Q3? And how did you work to put more temperature on the tires?
CL: We didn’t change the balance that much actually from Q1 to Q3. I think where we improved quite a bit was to put the tires in the right window. That was super important and in those conditions that’s always where you struggle. So this we did some modifications especially on the out lap and how much you push and where you push. And then I felt more at ease, and that helped me for Q3. So, yeah, it was all about fine-tuning the out lap and putting the tires in the right window.
Q: (Lawrence Edmondson – ESPN) Another question for Charles. How surprised are you by this result? Because obviously it’s been a while since we’ve seen you in the top three. Was it just a case of, like you say, getting the tires in the right window in the wet, or is this something of a bigger step for Ferrari?
CL: No, I’m very surprised. And actually, even when I finished the lap, I didn’t feel like it was worth a second place. I mean, it was a good lap, a clean lap, and that’s what you need in those conditions. And I believe that especially when you get to Q3 in the last lap, everybody knows that this is the lap, and that pushes people to maybe do more mistakes. On my side, it was a clean lap, but not an incredible lap. So yeah, I’m very happy to be P2 but I definitely did not expect that. I think as a team today P5 will have been a bit of a good result and today we are P2 and tomorrow we will be starting on pole. So that’s a good thing. But as I said we don’t have any magical solution for the race pace and it will be a bit of a tricky day tomorrow.
Q: (Scott Mitchell-Malm – The Race) Do you think that when you look at the comparison of your car to McLaren, do you think that the McLaren is now the best all-round car, but it’s now about optimizing things, and actually they’re so closely matched that conditions, track characteristics is the thing that will swing the battle between the two teams?
MAX VERSTAPPEN: Well, I think if you look at the last five, six races, they for sure have been the best. I mean, quite clear. And I mean, that’s fine. Fair play to them. I think they have done a great job. From our side, yeah, we have a bit of work to do, a few things also to analyze over the break. From race one all the way to here, what we have done. And then, yeah, try to fight back from Zandvoort, see if we can actually improve the situation, try to turn it around, try to be more competitive. I think the battle is in a way still quite tight. So, you know, when you make small mistakes, it definitely can swing quite quickly. And yeah, we have to try to use that in our advantage as well, because it’s so difficult at the moment. But we’ll see. I mean, there are so many races left and so many things that can happen. You can have the best possible preparation into every single weekend, but even then things can catch you by surprise. So you just have to remain focused, calm, and try to improve.
SP: Yeah, I think they’ve been the best car, let’s say, for the last five races or so in different types of circuits. They’ve been strong, certainly in the race pace, and I think the break comes at a good time for Red Bull because we’ve got a lot to analyze on our season, the directions we’ve been taking, and hopefully get the balance a little bit more together for the second half of the season. More than any other upgrade, I think getting the balance in the right window will be the main key and the main focus to see what we’ve done, the upgrades we have brought to see where exactly we are, because I feel like we’ve been a little bit lost lately.
Q: (Carlo Platella – FormulaPassion.it) Charles, how was the situation with bouncing during the weekend?
CL: Today, it was fine. But obviously, in wet conditions, it’s always a little bit less of an issue. Yesterday, we struggled a bit more with it. But I don’t expect this to be an issue tomorrow during the race. So this is a positive. So yeah. But if it was a dry quali, I would have expected it to be a bit more of a struggle for us.