Max Verstappen won the Belgian Grand Prix with a masterclass of control and overwhelming pace in coming back from 14th on the grid. He beat his Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez into second with Carlos Sainz in third for Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton crashed out on the opening lap after clashing with Alpine’s Fernando Alonso, who finished in fifth. Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate George Russell was fourth with Charles Leclerc in sixth for Ferrari.
This was a remarkable display of dominance from Verstappen. It is the lowest position on the grid from which he has gone on to win, having taken victory from 10th at the last round in Hungary.
The Dutchman enjoyed absolutely indomitable pace and once he had cleared his rivals, which he did with a series of composed and precision overtaking, took off into the distance. The Red Bull was the class act of the field, ominously strong and on which form it is now surely only a matter of time before the world champion seals his second title. Title rivals Ferrari were left impotent in their wake.
Verstappen had a real advantage in qualifying and but for his grid penalty for taking a new engine, would have been on pole. It transpired the sanction was but a minor inconvenience. His lead over Leclerc in the championship which was already formidable is now a chasm. Pérez has moved into second place 93 points back with Leclerc 98 in arrears.
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Sainz held his lead into turn one while Hamilton darted up to third place behind Alonso who had taken second. The British driver was charging but attempting to pass the Spaniard at Les Combes the pair clashed, although Hamilton had his nose in front, there was just not enough space through the corner and it was deemed a racing incident. Hamilton however had taken damage after his car reared up into the air on the impact and landed heavily and he was forced to retire before the end of the lap.
Alonso blamed the British driver. “This guy only knows how to drive starting in first,” he said. Hamilton admitted he had been at fault. “Looking back he was in my blind spot, I didn’t give him enough space. It is my fault,” he said. “I could not see him. I am sorry to the team and I need to recuperate and get back on the treadmill.”
However Verstappen made a fine start moving from 14th to tenth on the opening lap, and was up to eighth a lap later. Leclerc was similarly ambitious moving up to ninth from 15th on the grid.
After three laps behind the safety car after an incident between Valtteri Bottas and Nicholas Latifi, racing resumed with Sainz holding his lead from Pérez and Russell in second and third, with Leclerc in 17th having pitted.
Behind them Verstappen was scything through the opposition, he made up two more places on the restart and continued inexorably through the field, ultimately passing Russell for third on lap eight. His passing was exemplary albeit in a car that was demonstrably quicker than the midfield he was dispatching.
Leclerc too moved up to 12th by lap 10. With Verstappen tucked up behind his teammate and urged Red Bull to move him over as he had greater pace. Ferrari pitted Sainz on lap 11 and Pérez then duly let Verstappen through, the Dutchman had taken just 12 laps to secure the lead.
Sainz emerged in sixth and lost time behind Daniel Ricciardo, while Red Bull held all the cards with a one-two and opted to leave their drivers out. Verstappen immediately stretched his legs opening a three-second lead. Pérez pitted on lap 15 and Verstappen a lap later.
As the opening stops played out Verstappen emerged behind Sainz but still in front of Pérez and just three seconds off the Spaniard. He had the gap down to under a second in a lap and positively breezed past to regain the lead on the Kemmel straight on lap 18.
His pace was formidable, in clean air he put two seconds on Sainz within a single lap and consistently then was around one a half seconds a lap quicker, a remarkable advantage.
By lap 31 his lead was 20 seconds when he took his final pitstop to resume in the lead. From Pérez and Sainz with Russell hanging on well in fourth. Verstappen was untroubled but behind him Esteban Ocon pulled off the pass of the day in a three-wide battle down the Kemmel straight to clear Pierre Gasly and Sebastian Vettel.
Yet the win had long been decided, Verstappen cruised to the flag to take what was ultimately a relatively straightforward victory. Behind him Leclerc suffered even further as his title hopes slid out of reach. He was given a five-second penalty for speeding in the pitlane after he had taken the flag, dropping him from fifth to sixth
Shortly before the race began F1 confirmed that their meeting would remain on the calendar for 2023. It’s future had been in doubt with an increasingly congested fixture list set for next year but it appears with the anticipated race in South Africa now unlikely to be added, Spa has held its place.
Ocon was seventh for Alpine, Vettel in eighth for Aston Martin, Gasly ninth for AlphaTauri and Alex Albon tenth for Williams. - Guardian
