Max Verstappen Avoids Airplane Shunt at Spa, Finishes on Podium

Max Verstappen narrowly avoided a potentially disastrous collision with Charles Leclerc on the opening lap of the Belgian Grand Prix, joking afterwards that it was a "jungle" out there.

What happened?

On Sunday, Verstappen made a strong start to the weekend, qualifying on the front row alongside his teammate Sergio Perez. However, the Dutchman's hopes of a dominant victory were dashed when he was forced to defend against Leclerc's rapid advance on the Kemmel Straight.

"I expected Kimi to come by, and then I looked in my mirror and just saw a red rocket coming," Verstappen said, referring to the Ferrari driver. "I was like, 'Oh, I'll just hold my line because if I move here, we're going to have an airplane shunt.'"

Why it matters for Max Verstappen

The incident highlighted the challenges faced by drivers at the Spa circuit, where the energy-starved track and self-learning power units made for a chaotic and unpredictable weekend. Verstappen's ability to avoid the collision and secure a podium finish was a testament to his skill and experience.

What comes next?

Despite the challenges faced at Spa, Verstappen was satisfied with his team's performance, citing the car's decent window as a key factor in their success. However, he was critical of the hard tyres, which he felt never gave him the same confidence as the mediums.

"I guess the balance was not where I wanted it to be for a long time during that stint, so I lost too much time in the first half of it," Verstappen said. "But for us to be on the podium here has been a good result."

The Dutchman's comments were echoed by his team principal, Laurent Mekies, who praised the team's resilience and determination in the face of adversity.

"Welcome to F1 2026," Verstappen quipped. "Sometimes it can be a jungle."

The weekend's events marked a significant improvement for Red Bull, who had struggled at the previous round at Silverstone. Verstappen's podium finish was a welcome boost for the team, and he will look to build on this momentum in the coming rounds.

Verstappen's comments came after a chaotic opening phase, during which the virtual safety car periods fell at unfortunate moments for the Dutchman. Despite this, he was satisfied with a podium finish at what had been expected to be a challenging weekend.