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Oscar Piastri extends F1 title lead as Max Verstappen reacts to Helmut Marko statement – RacingNews365 Review
Oscar Piastri clinched his sixth victory of the season at the Belgian Grand Prix after a significant rain delay that lasted 80 minutes due to adverse weather conditions. The race could not begin as scheduled, with the formation lap being red-flagged because of poor visibility, resulting in a lengthy postponement until the weather improved.
Max Verstappen responded to Helmut Marko’s remarks by reiterating his view that winning a fifth consecutive F1 drivers’ championship this year is unrealistic, despite Marko’s optimism. The Red Bull advisor believes Verstappen could match Michael Schumacher’s five-title streak, which the German achieved with Ferrari between 2000 and 2004.
Toto Wolff has been urged to offer teenager Kimi Antonelli a new contract immediately to help boost his confidence, as the rookie driver’s morale has taken a hit following a string of poor results during his debut F1 season. Antonelli has faced four retirements in five races, with an 18th place finish in the other race during the European leg.
For the first time in his career, Christian Horner will not be managing the Red Bull team pit wall in a Grand Prix, breaking a streak of 406 consecutive races since Red Bull entered Formula 1 in 2005. During his tenure, Red Bull secured eight drivers’ championships – four each with Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen – and six constructors’ titles.
Max Verstappen expressed his disagreement with the decision to delay the start of the Belgian Grand Prix due to visibility concerns, arguing that the race control’s choice was not justified. Several drivers reportedly complained about poor visibility behind the safety car early on as officials evaluated the conditions.
