Verstappen inspires awe in Brundle: 'Like he was driving a different car'

Former Formula 1 driver Martin Brundle is heavily impressed with Max Verstappen's performance in the Belgian Grand Prix. According to the Sky Sports analyst, it was as if the Red Bull Racing driver was driving a completely different car from the rest of the F1 field.

Despite a grid penalty, Verstappen made his way to the head of the field, where he then crossed the finishing line with a 22-second lead over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez. Meanwhile, the Dutchman had plenty of time for some extremely interesting altercations with his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase.

"Perez in the other Red Bull was 22 seconds behind, such was Verstappen's command over his ever-willing car. When Max caught Sergio it was as if he was in a different car. That one is for the conspiracy theorists to seize on," Brundle said in his column for Sky Sports.

Brundle does not believe in conspiracy theories, but has another explanation for Verstappen's higher speed. "He was able to take tighter lines and still get better exit traction. He's found a way to carry speed while continuing to babysit the Pirellis. It's a touch, feel, and finesse that's very difficult to learn and achieve in my experience," the former F1 driver said.