Max Verstappen said he would not have started on the front row without help from Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar during qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix. Hadjar, who will start at the back of the grid after taking extra power unit parts, provided a tow in the final sector at Spa-Francorchamps.
Verstappen finished second in qualifying behind Kimi Antonelli, who took pole by three tenths of a second. He credited the tow from Hadjar through the Blanchimont sweep and approach to the final chicane for the gain that secured his position.
"The car was good and then of course Isack in Q3 helped me a lot with the tow in the final sector, that's why of course I'm sitting here, otherwise it could have easily been P6," Verstappen said. He added that the gaps behind were close and thanked his team-mate for the effort.
Hadjar explained the challenges of delivering the tow on two attempts in Q3. The first effort failed because he backed off and confused the energy deployment, while the second left him short of power.
Verstappen joked in the press conference that the cars appeared too close at one point but said he trusted Hadjar and would have pushed him if needed to complete the lap.
