Max Verstappen has acknowledged the crucial role played by his Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar in securing a front-row start at the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix qualifying session. Verstappen credited Hadjar’s slipstream assistance during the final sector of his Q3 lap as a key factor in improving his time and placing him alongside pole sitter Kimi Antonelli.
Hadjar, who was set to start from the back of the grid due to a penalty for taking new power unit components, remained in Q3 specifically to provide Verstappen with a tow. The Red Bull team deliberately kept Hadjar on track despite his grid penalty to help Verstappen gain valuable aerodynamic advantage. Verstappen noted that without Hadjar’s slipstream, he would not have been able to secure a front-row position.
During the qualifying run, the first attempt at the tow was disrupted when Hadjar had to back off, which affected Verstappen’s slipstream. However, the second attempt proved more effective, allowing Verstappen to improve his lap time by approximately 0.3 seconds. Verstappen briefly led the Q3 session before Antonelli claimed pole position by a margin of three tenths of a second.
Verstappen praised Hadjar’s effort and the team’s strategic approach over the radio, highlighting the importance of teamwork even when a driver is disadvantaged by grid penalties. Hadjar himself explained the challenge of managing engine power delivery during the tow, as backing off before the final sector caused some confusion in energy deployment. Verstappen also joked about how close he was to Hadjar on the final lap, saying he would have “just pushed” him if necessary.
Despite the benefit from the tow, Verstappen noted that the car’s balance was decent but admitted that they were somewhat lacking in straight-line speed. He also mentioned that lap time improvements were limited by the need to carry speed through flat-out corners, indicating that gains from the slipstream were crucial in maximizing his qualifying performance.
This qualifying session underlined Red Bull Racing’s tactical flexibility in using all available resources, including the strategic use of a teammate’s position affected by penalties. Verstappen’s comments reflect a clear recognition of the teamwork involved in achieving competitive grid positions in the highly competitive environment of Formula 1® qualifying.
