Hakkinen: Leclerc won’t stop Max from winning the title

Two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen summarized the Belgian Grand Prix, commented on Audi’s decision to debut in Formula 1 in 2026 and Daniel Ricciardo’s impending retirement from McLaren.

Mika Hakkinen: “Max Verstappen looked fantastic all weekend. He already showed a high pace in training, but in qualifying he performed at a very different level from the rest. The advantage of half a second over the nearest rival and eight tenths faster than teammate Sergio Perez is impressive dominance.

Max started 14th but I expected him to bounce back. Verstappen broke through to the top very quickly – he was already in the top three on lap eight and in the lead by the twelfth. In Spa it is easier to overtake if the driver has a fast car, especially on the long straight before the Les Combes chicane, but the driver still needs to position the car well and Verstappen was in perfect control.

At the moment it is hard to imagine that Charles Leclerc can impose a battle for the title on Max. There are only eight races left until the end of the season, with Verstappen leading with 93 points. In addition, Red Bull’s car is getting faster and faster and Ferrari lacks stability and confidence. I expect Leclerc to win more races, but I don’t think he can stop Verstappen in the championship.

Formula 1 is evolving and Audi’s decision to enter the championship in 2026 is a very big moment. They have announced the delivery of power plants, but as far as I understand they are planning to buy a team to compete directly with Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. It’s just fantastic.

The arrival of Audi was the result of the excellent work Formula 1 has done in recent years. The championship’s growth in popularity was due to the TV series Drive To Survive, the use of social networks and increased competition in the championship.

The 2026 engine control is attractive to manufacturers as nearly half of all power will be provided by the electrical part of the power plant and a transition to environmentally friendly fuel will take place. These measures therefore made it possible to attract such a large company as Audi. Excellent work from Formula 1 and FIA.

There is no doubt that Daniel Ricciardo is a fast driver and McLaren a competitive and ambitious team, but their cooperation has not worked out. Sometimes you have to make tough decisions to break up.

I was lucky enough to play for McLaren for nine years and win both titles in his line-up. I know how important a strong relationship between rider and team is to ensure each other’s trust. If you lose that confidence, it becomes very difficult to get the speed you need from the car and the driver.”