Jacques Villeneuve: The concept of a reverse start does not work

1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve commented on the results of the Belgian Grand Prix and praised Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing.

Jacques Villeneuve: “After a great performance at Spa, I can no longer deny that Max Verstappen is on his way to his second title. He really dominated this weekend – no one could even approach him. I was very impressed – Max played in his own league.

I have no doubt that Max is on his way to the title. I don’t see what can stop him from winning the championship – just bad luck, or if he starts to make stupid mistakes. Max will only become champion if he himself misses the title.

There is no doubt that Verstappen is at the peak of his form, but Red Bull also provided a fast car this weekend. They were fast on the straights and corners and were able to reduce tire wear, while the rivals showed high speed on the straights or corners. Each team only had pieces of the puzzle, but Red Bull had it all.

To be honest, with so many penalties, I expected a more spectacular race. But if your car is so dominant, like Red Bull, and there’s such a good racer behind the wheel, plus there are DRS zones, then after ten or twelve laps you’re ahead. In my opinion, after the last race, all discussions about the inverted starting grid should end – this concept doesn’t work.

See how quickly the drivers who were awarded the penalty returned to their usual front positions. We expected an exciting fight, but it didn’t happen. We didn’t see any really nice overtakes or aggressive struggles. It is a pity that almost all overtaking actions already took place before the braking zone.

I’m glad Spa is on the calendar for at least another year. This is a great track to drive, but with modern cars it has lost some of its charm. Eau Rouge is no longer a bend in the literal sense – it can be driven with the accelerator pedal to the floor, even on cold tires and with a full tank. Yes, the corner remains dangerous, but it no longer requires excellent racing skills. The same can be said about Blanchimont’s turn. Some of the track’s charm is lost.

There are no more truly legendary tracks in Formula 1. This used to be the old Hockenheim, but it’s not anymore. The Nürburgring is a legendary track, but we’re not getting there. I can’t even call the legendary Silverstone after the restructuring. The race weekend is great for the fans, but not because of the track itself.

Zandvoort is another classic name, but the track is weird so it’s hard to make predictions. However, we all know that Red Bull will be fast. Ferrari should improve because there are no long straights on the track. It’s really hard to say what results can be expected.”