Verstappen issues 'unfair' claim but warns of Red Bull analysis

Max Verstappen feels it "unfair" his situation has been described as tenuous after failing to win for the fourth consecutive F1 grand prix.

Verstappen took the chequered flag for the Belgian Grand Prix in fifth position, a climb of six places after starting from 11th due to an engine penalty. He was promoted to fourth following initial victor George Russell's disqualification for an underweight Mercedes.

It was not the rise Verstappen had achieved in 2022 when he won from 14th on the grid. Last year, he clinched victory from sixth.

The three-time F1 champion had warned he faced a damage limitation exercise going into the race, and so it proved as his RB20 was unable to cut its way through the field as in previous years.

It is the first time since late in 2020 that Verstappen has not stood on the top step of the podium for four successive races, leading to the suggestion he is in a tenuous situation, despite stretching his lead marginally over McLaren's Lando Norris to 78 points.

"McLaren has constantly been really quick, and Mercedes has been quick, but not everywhere," assessed Verstappen, speaking to media after the race, including RacingNews365.

He added: "From our side, we have a bit of work to do, we know that, and we have a few things to analyse as well with what to do with the car for the remainder of the season.

"But on the other side, of course, having an engine penalty, if all of the cars had that, their race would also look very different, so it's not very fair to look at my race coming from P11 because starting from there, the race is very different."

Team principal Christian Horner has said on occasion of late that Red Bull is no longer in a dominant position as it is reaching the top of the development arc under the current regulations.

Asked by RacingNews365 whether he felt there was much left in Red Bull's development tank, Verstappen said: "There are things that maybe we can do differently or analyse the things that we've brought to the car. We'll analyse all of that now over the break."

As to what Red Bull could do differently, he said: "Just things that we have brought to the car and stuff, just checking up on everything."