World champion Verstappen is also trailing McLaren in Belgium – but staying with Red Bull is becoming more likely

No other Formula 1 racetrack is as reliably subject to freak weather as Spa-Francorchamps. The first attempt to start the Belgian Grand Prix had to be aborted because the spray from a cloudburst was too strong. Eighty minutes later, after four laps behind the safety car, the race car finally got underway.

The decision between the two McLaren title contenders, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, was made after the first few corners. The Australian, Piastri, showed more courage and confidence on the damp track, while Norris, who started from pole position, struggled with his nerves.

After the long wait, an exciting, at times turbulent, afternoon unfolded. Piastri held on to the lead even after the tire changes and revealed the recipe for his sixth victory of the season in his typically cool manner: "Just lift the accelerator a little later." He extended his lead in the overall standings to 16 points. The Sauber team added another two points, this time thanks to youngster Gabriel Bortoleto.

Defending champion Max Verstappen finished fourth, and for 44 laps, the Red Bull racer was practically stuck in the rear of Charles Leclerc's Ferrari. The fact that he wasn't able to pull off an effective overtaking maneuver was due to the car's setup. Verstappen had fully committed to rain, but due to the hesitant approval from race control, the race was ultimately run mostly in the dry.

Nevertheless, the Dutchman can approach the second half of the season with increased optimism: On Saturday, he won the sprint race at Spa with a convincing performance. This exceptionally talented driver thus provided the perfect debut for his new team boss, Laurent Mekies. Since the 13th World Championship race, the French engineer has replaced the ousted Christian Horner, who, with over 20 years at the helm, was the longest-serving racing team boss in the premier class.

The unusual personnel reshuffle likely had much to do with a power struggle between Horner and the Austrian company's top management, although Verstappen's father, Jos, had also publicly opposed the Briton. There was concern at Red Bull that four-time world champion Max Verstappen, who has scored 185 of his team's 192 world championship points this year, could use an exit clause in his contract and move to Mercedes or Aston Martin at the end of the season.

The 27-year-old publicly thanked Horner for his support and also refused to accept any active involvement in his departure: "I'm just the driver, others decide that." However, the new constellation, in which Mekies does not have the same level of power as Horner, gives both the racing team and him some breathing room.

The paddock now assumes that Max Verstappen will stay with Red Bull for at least another season to see how the new balance of power develops after the radical change in the technical regulations at the start of the 2026 season.

A comfortable starting position: If Red Bull becomes competitive again with a powertrain built in-house for the first time, Verstappen will simply fulfill his contract, which runs until the end of 2028. If things continue to decline, all garage doors and a further pay rise are open to him elsewhere. Mekies promised at Spa: "We'll build him a car that makes it easy for him to turn down all offers."

Max Verstappen happened to be sitting in the simulator at Red Bull's British racing factory the day after Horner's forced departure, letting his sentimentality about the departure of the long-time companion who had brought him to the top team pass by at racing speed: "Looking back is pointless; it doesn't make you faster."

Verstappen is experiencing a situation that industry greats Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton also had to endure, and they have grown from it. The new constellation at Red Bull, in which Mekies' leadership style brings a more conciliatory tone and greater say, should suit Verstappen. Team spirit also needs to be restored.