Verstappen: In the wet around here it’s always very tricky

Verstappen, who won Saturday’s Sprint Race ahead of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, was left frustrated with his Q3 performance and said his Red Bull team needs to investigate the lack of rotation and front-end issues on the RB21.

“I was actually hoping it would help the driving feeling, just maybe be a bit draggy, but it didn’t do that,” Verstappen told Sky Sports F1. “It was just a bit more draggy and not the right balance.

"So it’s a bit weird and something we need to look into because it felt like that whole qualifying I couldn’t really push. And around here at Spa you need to be committed on entry, you want the car to rotate, and I couldn’t do that.”

Verstappen admitted third place was likely the maximum available but failed to hook up a clean lap in the final shootout: “I would have liked to have started third, that was probably our position today, but Q3 didn’t come together."

Asked if he could still challenge for victory in the Grand Prix amid the threat of rain, which has been largely predicted to hit the Ardennes on Sunday. Verstappen was cautious but did not rule it out: “In the wet around here it’s always very tricky.

"Also we have to wait and see how much rain is going to fall. Ideally, of course, I’d like to at least be P3. Fighting the McLarens will be very hard, but anything can happen," said Verstappen, a three time winner of the GP at Spa-Francochamps.

Yuki Tsunoda will start his 100th Grand Prix from seventh on the grid after bouncing back from a difficult Sprint to deliver a strong performance in Saturday’s qualifying session.

“The Sprint wasn't the start to the day that we were wanting and my pace really didn't stack up against my management of the car,” said Tsunoda, who finished 11th in the short-format race.

"But the Team really turned things around very quickly ahead of Qualifying. P7 for my 100th start tomorrow is so exciting—it feels like yesterday that I had my first ever race in Bahrain and it really has been an interesting journey these past five years.”

Tsunoda credited a late floor upgrade and his mechanics for helping him return to competitive form: “The upgrade allowed me to really push and drive much closer to the limit than has been possible previously. The car is sliding less and is a lot more forgiving, really it’s a huge credit to the Team.”

Looking ahead to Sunday’s potentially wet Grand Prix, Tsunoda added: “We know that it is likely to rain but our hybrid set-up means that we are prepared for the wet or the dry. Obviously I would prefer the dry. My main focus now is on scoring points tomorrow and extracting as much performance as possible from the car.”

The Japanese driver also acknowledged Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies, saying: “Seeing Laurent at the end of Qualifying gave me flashbacks from when we worked together at Visa Cash App Racing Bulls. He smiled directly at me as soon as I pulled in today, and it really boosted my confidence.”

Red Bull lie P4 in the 2025 F1 Constructors' standings, Verstappen has scored 173 of their 180 points thus far. The reigning and four-time Formula 1 World Champion is third in the Drivers' standings. Tsunoda is in P17 at this stage and is on a streak of six no-point scores.