Max Verstappen felt he and Kimi Antonelli were “unlucky” with the timing of a Belgian Grand Prix virtual safety car that nearly handed Charles Leclerc the win.
Verstappen pitted from second place on Lap 17 with Antonelli covering off next time by as Leclerc ran long, and got a virtual safety car for debris on Lap 20.
The Monegasque was able to leapfrog Antonelli and Verstappen, and although Antonelli was then able to reel in the Ferrari to scoop his sixth victory of the season, Verstappen was not as he fell away to a lonely third.
Speaking of his third podium of the season, Verstappen described the “unlucky” timing of the VSC.
“I mean, I tried everything I could in the race, and the first stint was not too bad,” Verstappen explained.
“The second stint was probably a little bit more difficult, but at the same time, I think Kimi and I got a little bit unlucky with the virtual safety car as well.
“So for us to be on the podium is very good. I gave it everything I had, and I think actually, P3 is good.”
As for Leclerc, who took successive podium finishes for the first time this season following his win at Silverstone two weeks ago, he felt the VSC had come at the ideal time.
“I believed in the win until the end. We had a little bit of luck, obviously, with the VSC at the right time for us,” Leclerc said.
“I was relatively strong, but there were five or six laps on the hard where I was struggling with the front axle a little bit, and then it came back a little.
“I felt better with the car. There is still some work to do, but it’s surely a step forward.”
