Max Verstappen explains ’emotional’ team radio row with engineer Gianpiero Lambiase during Belgian GP Qualifying

Max Verstappen has brushed off his “emotional” team radio row with race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase during Belgian GP Qualifying, saying the pair always resolve their issues.

The world championship leader delivered a remarkable, expletive-laden rant on team radio after finishing 10th in the second part of qualifying, scraping through to the pole shootout only after Pierre Gasly was unable to improve enough to knock out the Red Bull as the last driver to cross the line.

Verstappen was clearly frustrated to be left so close to a shock early exit, venting his anger at his run plan…

Verstappen: “We should have just ******* pushed two laps in a row like I said.”

Lambiase: “But you are through Max.”

Verstappen: “I don’t give a f*** mate if I’m through in P10. It’s just s*** execution.”

Lambiase: “OK and then when the track was two seconds quicker for your final lap and you didn’t have any energy left, how would that have gone down? But you tell me what you want to do in Q3 and we will do it. Sets, fuel, run plan.”

Verstappen would later apologise on team radio after sealing P1 in Q3. He will start Sunday’s race from P6 as he serves a five-place grid penalty for exceeding his gearbox allowance, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on pole.

Reflecting on the incident in the post-qualifying press conference, Verstappen said: “That happens sometimes, most of it is normally always blocked off.

“I think we can both be quite vocal or emotional, but we always solve it afterwards, so it’s all good.

“Honestly’ there’s no need for me to comment on that here, I will discuss it [run plans] with him.”

Verstappen: Red Bull ‘got lucky’

Heavy rain at Spa abated shortly before qualifying got under way following a 10-minute delay, meaning that by the second part of qualifying dry tyres were useable as the track dried out.

Verstappen found himself in the drop zone as the final laps played out and a poor middle sector saw him only improve to ninth in the timesheet. He would then be the next driver in danger when Leclerc lifted himself out of the elimination zone.

Gasly could not find enough time to knock out Verstappen, who then stormed to the fastest time in Q3, beating Leclerc by 0.820s.

“Q3 was good, the rest was all a bit hectic just trying to follow the track,” Verstappen said.

“It seemed quite difficult out there. At the end the most important is Q3 and we could really put it together. Really happy with that.

“It was slippery, you don’t want to risk too much but I was almost knocked out in Q2 so we were quite lucky there.

“That shows that it’s never that straightforward with these kind of things. Most of the time you get it right but sometimes you might miss out and we were lucky today.”

Leclerc pleased with improvement after driving style change

Following Verstappen’s grid drop, Leclerc will start from pole position on Sunday for the first time since April’s Azerbaijan GP.

The Ferrari driver was happy with his improved performance in the changing conditions, having suffered an early exit in similar conditions during qualifying at the Canadian GP and been only sixth in the damp Sprint Shootout during the Austrian GP weekend.

“I have quite an aggressive driving style and in those conditions it just didn’t work for me,” Leclerc said.

“I was making too many mistakes and difficult to build from a solid base, so I changed a little bit the approach and it seems to be better.

“It’s very difficult to give details, because it’s very slight changes in terms of driving style, but that makes a big difference at the end.

“As I said, I have a very aggressive driving style whether it’s in full wet or full dry, which pays off in those two conditions, but whenever I’m in between with slick tyres then it doesn’t really pay off.

“I tried different directions also with tools, so the way the car is set up and the way I can change it from one corner to the other, and this gave me much more confidence straight away, and the lap time came better.”

Given the gap he was behind Verstappen in the final times, Leclerc is not convinced he will be able to convert pole to a first win of the season.

Asked if he can hold position on Sunday, Leclerc replied: “”Let’s be realistic, I don’t think so.

“Red Bull are too quick, even if Max has a five-place grid penalty I expect him to catch up, we have Checo right next to us which will be also very difficult to keep behind.

“It’s going to be difficult, if there is an opportunity I will try to keep it as always, but it looks difficult on paper.”

Perez seals best starting position since Miami

Lining up alongside Leclerc on the front row will be Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull after the Mexican secured his best starting position for a Grand Prix since the Miami race at the beginning of May.

“We are in a good position for Sunday,” Perez said.

“It’s always good to be up here and have a good place for the race, but all that matters is what we do on Sundays, so my main objective is to get as high up as possible on Sunday.”

Sky Sports F1’s live Belgian GP schedule

Saturday July 29
8.55am: Formula 3 Sprint Race
10.30am: Belgian GP Sprint Shootout build-up
11am: Belgian GP Sprint Shootout
12.40pm: Formula 2 Sprint Race
2.30pm: Belgian GP Sprint build-up
3.30pm: BELGIAN GP SPRINT
5pm: Ted’s Sprint Notebook

Sunday July 30
7.25am: Formula 3 Feature Race
8.55am: Formula 2 Feature Race
12.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday – Belgian GP build-up
2pm: THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
4pm: Chequered Flag – Belgian GP reaction
5pm: Ted’s Notebook

Watch all sessions of the Sprint weekend at Spa live on Sky Sports F1. Stream the Belgian GP and more with NOW.