2023-07-30 14:26:00
The reigning double world champion Max Verstappen recorded an eighth consecutive victory on Sunday at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, winning the Belgian F1 Grand Prix ahead of his teammate, the Mexican Sergio Pérez.
It is already the 45th career victory for the Dutchman, at the age of only 25.
He will have the chance to join Germany’s Sebastian Vettel for the most straight wins ahead of his Dutch compatriots at the end of next month.
The star driver of Red Bull had also won the sprint race – the third contested in this championship – on the same track, 24 hours earlier.
During this weekend on Belgian soil, only the best lap will have escaped Verstappen, while Lewis Hamilton signed this mini-victory at the wheel of his Mercedes during the 44th and last lap.
The podium was completed by the Monegasque Charles Leclerc, on Ferrari, he who had started the event in the lead position, by virtue of a penalty of five places imposed on Verstappen Friday, at the end of the qualifications.
As the lights went out on the legendary Spa-Francorchamps track covered in threatening clouds, the holder of the lead position Leclerc knew it: behind him, the overpowering Red Bulls were going to be difficult to contain.
The Monegasque was not mistaken since from the first laps, Pérez, second on the grid, took the advantage over the Ferrari.
Behind, Verstappen benefited from a collision at the start of the race between the Australian Oscar Piastri (McLaren) and the Spaniard Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) to climb to 4th place at the end of the first lap.
The Dutchman then unrolled, overtaking in turn the seven-time world champion Hamilton, then, a few minutes later, Leclerc. After eight laps he was second behind Pérez.
Carried by the clamor of a public mostly won over to his cause, it took 17 laps for the native of Hasselt, less than a hundred kilometers from the Ardennes track, to take the advantage over his teammate.
The double reigning champion, who signs his third consecutive success at Spa in F1, now has a stratospheric lead of 125 points over his first pursuer Pérez, author of his second consecutive podium in GP.
Belgium was the last meeting for F1 before the summer break. The paddock will return to the circuit on the weekend of August 27 for the Dutch GP, on the coastal track of Zandvoort
Alpine sees the end
As in Hungary last weekend, Lewis Hamilton finished at the foot of the podium but still recovered the point for the fastest lap. He is ahead of the Spaniard Fernando Alonso, fifth at the wheel of his Aston Martin.
Behind, Alpine drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly finished 8th and 11th respectively. A solid result for the French team which had suffered two consecutive double retirements in the last two GPs (in Great Britain at the start of July and in Hungary last weekend).
Friday, the team had also announced to separate from its director Otmar Szafnauer at the end of this 12th round of the season.
The American pays for the lack of performance of the team, only 6th in the world championship of constrictors. Since the start of the season, Alpine has struggled to meet its objective of getting closer to the top-3 in the championship announced in February.
Logically expected after their performances in the last two GPs, the McLarens of Piastri and Lando Norris were the favorites to stand up to Red Bull.
Missed appointment for the British team, since Piastri had to give up after his collision with Sainz. Lando Norris, second in the last two races, only finished 7th.
The day before, Piastri had finished in an impressive second place in the sprint race for his first season in F1, ahead of Frenchman Pierre Gasly (Alpine), but behind … Verstappen.
On the legendary circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, nestled between hills and forests of the Belgian Ardennes, the rain, which played the spoilsport on Friday and Saturday, sprint day, only made a brief appearance shortly before mid- race on Sunday. Insufficient to upset the hierarchy.
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