F1 Sprint results: Max Verstappen wins in Laurent Mekies’ first race with Red Bull

Oscar Piastri kicked off the Belgian Grand Prix from the pole position in the F1 sprint. It was quite the memorable debut for his new team principal, as he initially led the race.

Piastri had a strong start after the lights went out, but Max Verstappen swiftly overtook him early on, taking control of the race and maintaining it throughout. Piastri and Lando Norris kept mounting pressure on the Red Bull driver, making for an exciting contest.

At one point, it looked like Piastri might lose a P3 spot to Charles Leclerc, but Norris managed to reclaim third and hang onto it.

This race marked a win for Verstappen and also for Laurent Mekies, who was making his first appearance as the new team principal at Red Bull.

“It really worked well,” Verstappen noted afterward. “We positioned ourselves strategically in Turn 5, which was challenging for the others. It turned into a tactical battle, with DRS and battery management throughout the race. One small lockup was my only worry at the last corner.”

On a positive note, Haas had a productive day, with Esteban Ocon finishing fifth and Oliver Bearman in seventh, netting the team six points overall.

Pierre Gasly qualified for the eighth sprint, but didn’t start due to an issue. Still, he made it onto the track to complete a dozen laps, providing Alpine with data they hope to use in qualifying later.

Yet, the day really belonged to Verstappen and his new boss. “It’s still early days, but he’s really enthusiastic and motivated—that’s what you like to see,” Verstappen commented. “Working together has been great, and with Simon Rennie stepping in as my race engineer, even though he hasn’t been in the role recently, he brings a lot of experience back to the team.”

Here are the complete results from the F1 sprint at the Belgian Grand Prix:

F1 Sprint Results Belgian Grand Prix