Max Verstappen was still having to run a reduced power mode after niggles with the Honda engine in Belgian Grand Prix qualifying.

The Dutchman was put in a tricky situation in Q1, needing a good final lap to progress after suffering a loss of performance during his first run.

After that point, Verstappen was clear but ended Q3 in fifth place, 1.1s slower than pole-sitter Charles Leclerc.

"We have been struggling all weekend with a problem that the car will not work if we want to put more power," he explained to Ziggo Sport.

"That was also the case in qualifying which is a shame, especially on a circuit where you really need it.

"The problem started every time in Pouhon, so we had to lower the power from that point onwards. I still tried to make the best of it, but I was short on the straight. The difference with Ferrari was one second, that is quite painful.”

Also Read:

• Verstappen says Red Bull threat 'track-dependent' but Hamilton remains wary
• Verstappen only interested in winning, urges Honda to keep pushing

After both Mercedes and Ferrari-powered cars suffered engine failures in qualifying, however, reliability may prove a bigger asset in Sunday's race at Spa.

And Verstappen is confident that Red Bull's race pace will also bring him into podium contention.

"In the race, you can't drive too much in qualifying mode anyway, so tomorrow we will be a little less bothered by the problems we encounter and will automatically be closer,” he noted.

"I think Ferrari is really just too fast for us, but given all the problems, we were still pretty close to Mercedes, so I expect that we will be able to compete with them."

As for Red Bull teammate Alex Albon, his starting place was already decided due to engine penalties dropping him to the back of the grid, but he is still hoping for a strong first race on Sunday.

“It was a shame for the red flags as I wanted more experience, but it was still good fun,” Albon said to Formula1.com.

“Starting from the back, you want to be higher up but we’ll see, obviously points are the main aim.

“There are some cars like the Racing Point that are pretty quick on the straights, so I think they’ll be pretty hard to overtake, but we’ll see.”