Max Verstappen reveals just how crucial Isack Hadjar’s tow was in F1 Belgian GP qualifying

Max Verstappen has heaped praise on Red Bull Formula 1 team-mate Isack Hadjar for giving him a helping hand in Belgian Grand Prix qualifying. 

With Hadjar starting from the back of the grid due to a penalty for an engine change, the Frenchman’s mission in Q3 was to simply provide Verstappen with the biggest slipstream possible on the long flat-out section to the final chicane. 

Verstappen was beaten to pole position by Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli but was able to secure a place on the front row of the grid at Spa-Francorchamps. Without the aid of a tow from Hadjar, the four-time world champion reckons he would have ended up as low as sixth in qualifying. 

“It was definitely helping me, otherwise I would not be standing here. Otherwise I think I would be like P6, or something,” Verstappen explained. 

“So, I thank Isack today, knowing that has to start at the back of the grid, he did a really good job giving me a tow in the final sector, and that’s why we’re standing right here. So thank you to him for that.” 

Verstappen got incredibly close to the back of Hadjar’s Red Bull coming out of Blanchimont but the Dutchman insisted his team-mate judged it perfectly. 

“I was flat out, I would have just pushed him,” he joked. “He did amazing. I initially thought, ‘oh my god, it's too close,’ but then actually, it worked out well to the last corner. It was close, but I trust him.”

Verstappen revealed Red Bull had discussed the tactic prior to qualifying. 

“I mean, we talked about it, and I think it was quite easily agreed. So we knew what to do,” he said. 

“You always, of course, try to make it better from run one to run two and I think Isack did that really well. And why to do it on that straight, I think you have a little bit less of a SM mode. So it's a bit more draggy. 

“That's why I guess it helps maybe a little bit more. I think it's very even. In FP3, I had, for whatever reason, two times the tow, sector one and three, and they were quite equal.”

Hadjar, who will start Sunday’s race from 21st on the grid, admitted it was “very difficult” to pull off.

“What’s difficult is to guess what the engine is going to give you, because once you stop out of Turn 14, the power and the engine is a bit confused because you’ve stopped for no reason and the software is confused,” he said.

“So my first attempt in Q3, I was on way too much power, so I pulled away from him. The second attempt, I didn’t have enough so maybe he was catching me and I could tow him the whole. That was very difficult to judge.” 

Despite the great qualifying result, Verstappen is not expecting that he will be able to fight for victory in Belgium. 

“Difficult in the start, I guess, plus, honestly, I just want to do my own race,” he added. “I mean, the gap even in qualifying with a massive tow is still over three tenths. So I don't really expect to race them tomorrow. 

"I think it's more for me looking in the mirrors and fighting them, or trying to even fight them, but mainly just trying to do my own race and see where we end up.”