Max Verstappen: "It has been good to have a bit of a break and, although Silverstone was a tough weekend, I have been back at the factory with the Team last week on the sim.

"Looking to Spa, it is my favourite track on the calendar and is always good to be back. I think it could be trickier with the energy management limitations on the straights but we have historically done well here so you never know what will happen. I will be back wearing the special Orange Lion helmet which is a tribute to the fans, who are incredible here and have given me huge support over the years."

Isack Hadjar: "I spent last weekend down at Goodwood, where I got to drive RB17 and RB9. As a racer, you live for the sounds those cars make, so it was pretty cool to be there. Heading into this double-header, I know that the Team and I are going to give it everything we can before the summer break. I've been performing consistently in the European rounds so far, and I want to continue that while pushing for more points. Spa is such a classic circuit, and although it'll be different under these regulations, it promises a new challenge for us as drivers. It has characteristics similar to Silverstone, so we don't expect to lead the way, but hopefully we'll have taken the learnings from there into this weekend."

Stats & Facts

• Isack won the FIA Formula 2 feature race at Spa in 2024, taking victory ahead of his fellow F1 graduate Gabriel Bortoleto by less than two seconds.

• Isack remains one of seven drivers on the grid to have reached Q3 at every Grand Prix this season.

• A podium for Oracle Red Bull Racing this weekend would see the Team reach 300 in their F1 history, a number only previously reached by four constructors (Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Williams).

• Max has been fastest in Q3 at Spa in four of the past five years, although grid penalties have denied him the opportunity to start from Pole since 2021. His leading margins in those four Qualifying sessions were 0.321s, 0.632s, 0.820s and 0.595s.