Helmut Marko Reveals Red Bull’s Strategic Plan Behind Verstappen’s Spa Sprint Victory

Verstappen Outsmarts McLaren in Belgian Sprint Race

Max Verstappen showed why he’s a three-time world champion with a brilliant sprint race victory at Belgium’s iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

The Dutch driver wasted no time, powering past Oscar Piastri on the very first lap to seize control of the race.

“That was our plan,” revealed Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko. “After Eau Rouge to be straight behind him and overtake and then stay in the lead.”

The strategy worked perfectly.

Marko, 82, was clearly pleased with how the entire team executed their plan, though he admitted the race wasn’t without its heart-stopping moments.

“It was a very, very good performance from the whole team, and Max also hit two small whoppers, but Piastri had his moments too,” he said.

The victory highlighted just how challenging overtaking can be at Spa, something that will factor into Sunday’s main race strategy.

Weather could throw a wrench into Red Bull’s plans, however. The forecast looks dicey, and Marko doesn’t sound confident about their chances if rain appears.

“The weather forecast is not good. It will be difficult to find the right solution, but for sure with such a small wing we can’t win tomorrow,” he explained.

Despite his concerns about wet conditions, Marko remains optimistic about Verstappen’s chances in a dry race.

“I think we would be fast enough, and we saw that the tyre degradation on Piastri’s car was similar or maybe even worse than ours,” he noted. “So if it would be dry, we still see a chance.”

The battle between Red Bull and McLaren looks set to continue into Sunday’s main event, with tire management and weather adaptation likely to be the deciding factors.