When Marko threatened Verstappen after iconic F1 overtake

Max Verstappen had had an eventful first half-season in F1 during his 2015 rookie campaign, with a huge crash in Monaco and a strong fourth-place in Hungary being the stand-out moments. 

During the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, Verstappen had qualified the Toro Rosso 18th after taking a 10-place grid penalty for a sixth power unit of the season, starting 15th - as others took more severe sanctions. 

This was the weekend where McLaren pair Jenson Button and Fernando racked up the infamous 105-place grid penalty between them, such were the penalty rules of the time. Thankfully they have been since simplified.

On their 10th lap of the race, fighting over 12th position for most of the lap, Verstappen and Sauber driver Felipe Nasr did battle. 

Nast stayed ahead for the long blast from the exit of Stavelot, with Verstappen cannily moving out of the slipstream and attempt a move around the outside of Blanchimont at nearly 200mph - with it being a corner where small accidents were not a thing. 

Verstappen just about held on to the Toro Rosso machine and easily passed the Brazilian under braking for the the bus-stop chicane on his way to eighth place and four points, with Nasr going on to claim 11th place, 11 seconds behind final points scorer Marcus Ericsson in the sister Sauber.

Reflecting on the move as part of a 2024 documentary, Verstappen realised that he would not attempt a similar move today.

"It was fun! In the moment I enjoyed it, but my father couldn't appreciate it, no one could," Verstappen said in the Viaplay documentary Max Verstappen - Off the Beaten Track.

"After the race Helmut Marko came straight to me and shouted 'You'll never do that again!' 

"I indicated that I had just passed him anyway...but now I get it.

"Back then I thought, and I think I was still 17 at the time: 'I'll just go for it'. I probably wouldn't do it again now. 

"No, it's not worth the risk. I could have easily overtaken him on the next corner too. But then I was like: 'Whatever. I'll show everyone that it's possible."

Move practiced in the sim

Verstappen had actually practiced such a move on iRacing with Team Redline boss Atze Kerkhof, initially for fun. 

"The F1 cars in that game had a slightly lower top speed and slightly more downforce," he said.

"So when I set up that move in real life, I had more top speed and less downforce, so the car moved a lot more [than in the game]."