Verstappen à Spa’s relentless “comeback”

Sunday at Spa, there was Max Verstappen and the others. Starting 14th, the reigning world champion crushed the competition at the wheel of a Red Bull on fire to win the Belgian Grand Prix, thus signing his 29th career success and the ninth this year. Untouchable, the Batavian takes another step towards a new world crown. Perfect Sunday for the Austrian team since Sergio Perez, second, offers a fourth double to RB. On pole on the starting grid, Carlos Sainz is content with third place with his Ferrari. Charles Leclerc finishes fifth.

Hamilton offers the race to Verstappen

We expected a lively race with eight drivers penalized for an engine change including the protagonists of the world championship: Verstappen and Leclerc. 14th and 15th on the grid, it was promising but the chaotic first lap in Belgium seriously reshuffled the cards. At the Combes bend at the end of the first sector, a collision took place between Alonso and Hamilton for third place. The Briton, at fault, took off before returning to the track and resuming the race but this caused a real traffic jam in the process causing other incidents with Latifi and Bottas. The Finn was forced to retire like the Briton a few meters further, immobilized on the track. The safety car appeared and after two laps Max Verstappen was already eighth. And Charles Leclerc? Unlucky, he was forced to pit in a safety car regime to change his debris-damaged tyres. Everything had to be redone for the Monegasque, penultimate at the time of the recovery.

Verstappen in the lead after just 18 laps

In front when the restart took place, Sainz led the peloton ahead of Perez, Russell and Alonso. Behind, Verstappen went on the hunt. He quickly erased Albon then Ricciardo, before getting rid of Vettel and Alonso. On the ninth lap after overtaking Russell, the Dutchman was already in third place. On the twelfth lap after the stoppage of the two leaders, the Batavian was even in the lead. Indecent. On lap 16, the world champion then made his first stop and returned to the track in second position just four seconds behind Sainz, still in the lead. In two laps, the delay was made up and Max Verstappen overtook the Spaniard on lap 18 to take the lead and race to another victory.

The Blues in the points

Struggling with his race pace, Sainz was unable to resist Perez who got the better of the Iberian on lap 21. The Austrian double was assured and the Ferrari driver’s third place in danger. Because, George Russell put the pressure to the end without managing to attack Sainz, finally relieved to keep his place on the box. Rising up to fifth place, Charles Leclerc tried to steal the fastest lap from Max Verstappen with two laps to go. It was a failure and in addition, the Monegasque was penalized for speeding in the pits and fell back to sixth place to the delight of Alonso, fifth. Seventh, Esteban Ocon offers a nice group shot to Alpine who scores big points and asserts himself as the fourth force on the field. Finally, we note the fine ninth place of Pierre Gasly, starting from the pits, and the tenth position of Alexander Albon who offers a point to Williams, the fourth of the season.

General classification

1. Max Verstappen : 284 points
2. Sergio Perez : 191 points
3. Charles Leclerc : 186 points