Horner hands stunning Verstappen unusual compliment

Christian Horner believes the dominant Max Verstappen could have handed tyres back to Pirelli and still have won the wet Belgian Grand Prix qualifying.

Spa was hit by heavy rain before grand prix qualifying, leading to the postponement of the F2 sprint race, although conditions began to dry out ahead of the session in which Verstappen was carrying a 10-place grid penalty for a new internal combustion engine.

In Q1 and Q2, Verstappen used a single set of tyres in each session, with the other 19 cars all swapping to a fresh set in the first segment, as the Red Bull driver emerged fastest with a 1:53.169 to win qualifying.

Charles Leclerc was nearly 0.6s slower in P2, but will start from pole as Verstappen will line-up in 11th.

Reflecting on the session, Red Bull boss Horner heaped praise on the world champion, who also took similar grid penalties after winning qualifying at Spa in 2022 and 2023.

"It was a great session, and both drivers did a super job," Horner told Viaplay. 

"Max could have given a set of tyres back to Pirelli, he was on it all the way through the session.

"He used fewer tyres than [the rest of the field] to get to Q3 and then both laps [in Q3] were good enough for pole. 

"I have to say a big congratulations to Checo as well, he only had scrubbed tyres in Q3, and his middle sector on the scrubbed tyre was only two-tenths off Max.

"To miss out on pole by 0.011s and starting on the front-row is a great effort."

Horner's race day hopes

"I've love it to be wet [for the race], but it is going to be a nice, dry day. 

"It is going to be so close, but we have optimised today, which was the most important thing. 

"We took the 10-place penalty [with Verstappen], will start 11th and the McLaren's are not on the front-row. 

"They are going to be so fast, but we have Checo on the front-row, so we will see what we can do in the race."