F1 Belgian GP: Verstappen wins comfortably despite penalty

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen secured yet another victory, at Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgium Grand Prix, as the Dutch world champion eyes his second world title.

How the race unfolded…

It was a brilliant start from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who managed to get into Spa-Francorchamps’ first corner unchallenged from those behind. At the same time, Alpine’s outgoing Fernando Alonso was quickly put under pressure by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. The Alpine managed to maintain ahead of the #44 Mercedes up through Eau Rogue.

However, contact was inevitably made as they went into Les Combes (turns seven and eight). Hamilton attempted a move around the outside of his former teammate, into the high-speed chicane. However, the seven-time world champion squeezed the Alpine driver onto the kerb and the two banged wheels.

When the two drivers collided, the contact launched Hamilton’s W13 up into the air before it crashed back down to the ground. As a result, the #44 Mercedes was soon ordered to stop the car out on track due to the damage caused by the contact.

A lap later, Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas quickly joined his former teammate as he retired from the race. The Finnish driver found himself in the wrong place, at the wrong time, as Williams’ Nicholas Latifi spun out after the Canadian dipped a tyre in the gravel trap, on the exit of turn eight.

While the Williams #6 spun out, Bottas opted to take the grass verge in a bid to avoid contact. As the Finn took to the grass verge, his Alfa Romeo quickly lost grip and spun out before it stopped on the gravel trap at Melmady (turn nine).

With both an Alfa Romeo and Mercedes stranded out on track, the safety car was soon deployed.

At the end of lap three, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Williams’ Nicholas Latifi came in for an early stop. The Ferrari driver came in and swapped his used, red-ringed, soft compound tyres for the, yellow-ringed, Medium compound tyres.

The safety car was soon recalled back into the pit lane, at the end of lap four, which left Sainz as the pace-setter.

In a much later move, compared to the junior categories, Sainz decided to get the race back underway as he brough the pack towards Bus Stop Chicane (turns 19 and 20). However, the Spanish driver locked up into the corner which allowed Perez to close up towards his gearbox.

But, Perez was slower under acceleration – down the pit straight – which helped Sainz go into La Source unchallenged. On the other side, the Mexican driver had to deal with a ambitious Mercedes behind him.

Sainz yielded the race lead to Red Bull’s Sergio Perez as he ventured into the pit lane for his mandatory stop, at the end of lap 11. Without the tow from the Spaniard’s Ferrari, it put Perez in a bad position to defend his lead from Verstappen who had worked his way to the front of the field within a dozen laps.

By lap 18, Verstappen put Sainz under immediate pressure as he catapulted off the La Source hairpin, down towards Eau Rogue. Due to the significant pace of the Red Bull, Sainz was forced to yield the lead to Verstappen as the Dutch world champion flew by, down the Kemmel straight.

Two laps later, Perez was able to repeat his teammate’s actions as the Ferrari Spaniard fell to third.

In a bid to maximise their points haul, Ferrari attempted a double stack with Sainz in first, at the end of the 26th lap. The Spaniard had a clean stop which allowed him to return to the circuit with a fresh set of white-ringed hard tyres while Leclerc came in to swap his worn mediums for a fresh set of the same compound.

This was soon repeated by the likes of Perez and Verstappen, the latter who pitted for a fresh set of mediums at the end of lap 30.

Despite an engine penalty which put the Dutchman at the back of the grid, later promoted to P14 following other driver penalties, Verstappen managed to utilise his package and secure, yet, another win – in dominating fashion.

Podium:

1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2. Sergio Perez, Red Bull
3. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari

That’s it for the article: F1 Belgian GP: Verstappen wins comfortably despite penalty! What did you think of the race? Let us know in the comments!

Read more Formula 1 here!

• Belgian GP: Sainz on pole after Verstappen penalty
• Belgian GP: Perez sets fastest time at end of FP3
• Belgium GP FP1: Sainz heads Ferrari 1-2 in Spa
• F1 Belgian Grand Prix: Verstappen and Leclerc to start at the back of grid
• Alfa Romeo set to terminate partnership with Sauber

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Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.