Max Verstappen beats Oscar Piastri in Belgian Grand Prix sprint race - ESPN

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium — Max Verstappen kicked off Red Bull's post-Christian Horner era with an impressive sprint race victory.

Reigning world champion Verstappen passed Piastri on Lap 1 and then held off the Australian and his McLaren teammate Lando Norris to clinch the victory.

It was the Red Bull's first race victory of any kind since its debut in 2005 not overseen by Horner, who was replaced as CEO and team principal by Laurent Mekies two weeks ago.

«Nice! Very well done, great job with the gaps and the battery. Really nice,» Verstappen said on the team radio.

Mekies replied: «Well done Max. Very, very impressive defence, very well controlled. You didn't leave anything on the table there.»

The sprint format, introduced in 2021, is a shortened version of Sunday's grand prix and gave Verstappen eight championship points, although gains over the McLarens was minimal, with Piastri claiming seven and Norris gaining six.

The result meant Piastri extended his championship lead over Norris to nine points, with Verstappen now 68 points behind.

Verstappen said afterwards he had to do qualiying laps to keep the McLarens behind him.

«It worked out really well. The start was the only opportunity we had against them and we got it into Turn 5.

»Then I knew it would be very tough to keep them behind, so it was playing cat and mouse with DRS and battery usage. The whole race was within seven tenths, so I couldn't afford to make big mistakes.

«You have to drive over the limit of what's possible. Tyre management goes out of the window. That's what makes it difficult.

»I did 15 qualifying laps to keep them behind on a track where tyre management is important."

New Red Bull boss Mekies said on Friday his number one priority is to