Verstappen's Q2 Woes Almost Knock Him Out of Qualifying

It was a dramatic Q2 session at the Belgian Grand Prix, with Max Verstappen almost knocked out of qualifying after managing only 10th fastest.

After setting the pace early in Q2, Verstappen struggled on his first run on the soft tires, venting his frustration over the team radio. He told his engineer Gianpiero Lambiase: "The run plan you gave me was s**t."

Lambiase responded firmly, saying "This is the only opportunity we have. Keep pushing." But Verstappen was unable to improve, bouncing between 9th and 10th as other drivers picked up the pace on the softs.

With two minutes left and times tumbling, Verstappen looked in danger of crashing out of Q2 and possibly even the race itself if he qualified outside the top 10. He would have needed to ask the stewards for permission to start from the pitlane.

Oscar Piastri then shot to the top of the timesheets for McLaren, while championship rivals Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc locked out the front row for Ferrari. But Verstappen had yet to post a representative time on the softs.

Luckily for Red Bull, Verstappen was able to scrape through to Q3 in 10th, but it was a wake-up call ahead of the race. Verstappen admitted after qualifying: "I was very lucky to be P10, I didn't have the confidence to push [in Q2]."

While Verstappen recovered to claim pole in Q3, his Q2 struggles highlighted issues with Red Bull's strategy and Verstappen's setup and tire management - things they'll need to fix before Sunday's grand prix.