After difficult weekends in Austria and Silverstone, Red Bull had plenty to smile about this weekend in Belgium. Max Verstappen secured another podium finish, making it his third this season. Meanwhile Isack Hadjar delivered one of the standout drives of the race by charging from the back of the grid to finish in sixth.
Verstappen started alongside polesitter Kimi Antonelli after benefiting from a tow from Hadjar in qualifying. An excellent launch saw the Dutchman briefly take the lead into Eau Rouge, but Antonelli reclaimed the position down the Kemmel Straight.
The Red Bull driver looked on course for second place before the timing of the Virtual Safety Car allowed Charles Leclerc to jump ahead during the pit-stop cycle. Despite that setback, Verstappen comfortably secured third, giving Red Bull a much-needed return to the podium.
Hadjar’s race was arguably just as, if not more, impressive. Forced to start from the back after taking a power unit penalty, the young Frenchman carved his way through the field to finish sixth, underlining both his pace and racecraft.
The encouraging result came despite Red Bull choosing not to race the updated rear wing it had introduced earlier in the weekend. The team reverted to an older specification after Friday running, yet still showed enough pace to fight at the front.
While Red Bull still has work to do to consistently challenge Mercedes for victories, Spa provided clear signs that the team is heading back in the right direction.