Max Verstappen reveals ‘airplane shunt’ scare with Leclerc in Belgian GP thriller

Max Verstappen has revealed he deliberately held his line on the opening lap of the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix to avoid what he feared could have been a devastating collision with Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari.

What happened on the opening lap?

Verstappen briefly took the lead from polesitter Kimi Antonelli on the exit of La Source, but the aggressive move drained his battery before the field reached Eau Rouge. The Red Bull driver then watched in his mirrors as Leclerc’s Ferrari closed at astonishing speed. “I looked in my mirror and just saw a red rocket coming,” Verstappen said. Rather than risk a sudden defensive move, he held his line, fearing any evasive action could have triggered an “airplane shunt.”

Why it matters for Max Verstappen

The moment exposed the razor-thin margins in Formula 1’s 2026 regulations. Verstappen’s battery management cost him dearly, leaving him vulnerable along the Kemmel Straight. After pitting before a Virtual Safety Car, Red Bull’s strategy faltered as Leclerc used the neutralisation to leap ahead. Verstappen finished third, unable to match the leading pair over the closing stages.

What Verstappen said about the incident

The four-time world champion admitted he knew trouble was coming the moment he checked his battery gauge after Eau Rouge. “Clearly, too much deployment from Turn 1 to Turn 2,” he said. “Then I went through Eau Rouge, looked at my battery status and thought, ‘Well, that’s going to be a difficult run to Les Combes.’” He expected Antonelli to retake the lead, but Leclerc’s pace caught him completely off guard.

Did Red Bull miss a chance for a better result?

Verstappen described the weekend as “quite straightforward” for Red Bull, praising the car’s early performance. Yet he felt the timing of the Virtual Safety Car robbed him of a shot at second place. “To be honest, today we got a little bit unlucky,” he said. Despite the frustration, he viewed the podium finish as progress after a tough outing at Silverstone the weekend before.