Verstappen reveals he spent important time in Red Bull's simulator ahead of Spa

On the eve of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen has revealed that he spent vital time in Red Bull's simulator in between the Silverstone and the Spa round.

Max Verstappen endured an up-and-down weekend last time out at Silverstone. The four-time world champion secured the pole position for the British Grand Prix in his upgraded RB21 that featured a heavily-revised floor.

Despite the encouraging one-lap pace, the Dutch driver failed to maintain the lead on the first lap, and he went backwards as the race progressed, finishing down fifth place.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, Verstappen revealed that he used the two-week break to work in Red Bull's simulator.

"Spa is a classic and always my favourite track on the calendar; a very old school circuit where you have to do everything right to get a good lap. I enjoy the high-speed corners such as Eau Rouge, the layout which is different to other circuits and elevation changes that make the track more of a challenge to drive.

"Silverstone wasn’t our best performance but it was a promising step to put it on Pole in Qualifying. I was back at the factory last week to spend some time in the sim with the Team and I’m looking forward to working closely with Laurent.

"There is always huge support in Belgium from the Orange Army and it is like a second home race for me, so I will be back wearing the Orange Lion helmet and my special cap and boots."

His team-mate Yuki Tsunoda has struggled to achieve good performances in recent rounds, having failed to score any points in the last four races.

The Japanese driver has revealed that he used the two-week break between the Silverstone and Spa round to get himself in an even better physical and mental condition.

"I have spent the time off racing mixed between training very hard and using the break to mentally reset. I wanted to be the best prepared I could be coming into Spa and in better condition, mentally and physically.

"I am feeling strong and sharp and looking forward to these next two races before summer break. We are coming into this race in a new era for the Team and it will be good to link up again with Laurent, we worked really well together at Visa Cash App Racing Bulls.

"I know how he likes to work and our full focus is on pushing forward and for me personally to start delivering the performance we need. Spa is a fun circuit and one that could suit us well, the Sprint always makes things tricky but the work and preparation we have done in this off time should set us up nicely."