Verstappen delighted with podium "home race"

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen expresses his delight, as the Dutchman finished third in the Belgian Grand Prix.

Verstappen started the race in P7 and managed to fight his way back up the grid to complete a podium finish at his "home" event.

The Red Bull man did well to avoid the mayhem at Turn One, and swiftly moved up into fifth place and make light work of the two Force India drivers who were occupying third and fourth.

Verstappen's third place finish is extra satisfying to the driver because of his history at Spa-Francorchamps, with the driver failing to score any sort of points in his two previous races here.

This was down to a first-lap collision back in 2016 and an engine failure last season.

"After a bit of bad luck here in Spa in the past, I'm very pleased to finally be coming away with a podium," Verstappen told Sky Sports F1.

"There was a bit of first-lap chaos to contend with but we made it through cleanly and managed to settle into a good pace right away.

"From there on I managed to pass (Romain) Grosjean up the hill and concentrate on chasing the Force India cars. I knew I would have to be patient and in the end I got close enough.

"It is always good to be on the podium but being on it here, in Spa, with so many Dutch fans is really special. On the last lap, I was able to take in the Orange crowd and enjoy it."