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Formula 1 Belgian GP

F1 Belgian GP Live Commentary and Updates - Sprint Quali & Race

Saturday's action from the 12th round of the 2023 Formula 1 season

By: Sam Hall, Lewis Duncan, James Newbold

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Summary
  • Verstappen wins shortened, rain-delayed F1 sprint at Spa after passing Piastri's McLaren that jumped ahead by pitting one lap sooner
  • Piastri records best result to date with second ahead of Alpine's Gasly, who also profited from pitting at the end of the final formation lap to switch from full wets to intermediates
  • Hamilton drops from fourth to seventh after 5s penalty for Perez contact before the second Red Bull goes off and retires
  • Alonso is another to retire, bringing out safety car by spinning off at Pouhon while outside the points

Leaderboard: 

  1. Verstappen, Red Bull
  2. Piastri, McLaren
  3. Gasly, Alpine
  4. Sainz, Ferrari
  5. Leclerc, Ferrari
  6. Norris, McLaren
  7. Hamilton, Mercedes
  8. Russell, Mercedes
  9. Ocon, Alpine
  10. Ricciardo, AlphaTauri
Thank you for sticking with us through the various delays. We'll bring the Live text page to a close there, but be sure to keep an eye on the website over the coming hours for all the news and reaction from Spa - and of course, join us tomorrow for the race at 2pm BST. Until next time, we'll see you then!
Belgian racing legend Jacky Ickx was on hand to distribute the top three with their commemorative plaques. Verstappen will be hoping to get his hands on a slightly bigger piece of silverware tomorrow, but will have a tougher time on his hands coming through from sixth on the grid after his gearbox change. Based on his pace today though, don't write him off...
Here's the full report in case you missed any of the drama: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-belgian-gp-verstappen-wins-shortened-sprint-race-from-piastri-gasly/10501846/
Those six points for Gasly from the sprint match his best haul all season for Alpine, for finishing seventh in Monaco.
The biggest celebrations after that result, unsurprisingly, are in the Alpine camp as Gasly is embraced by his mechanics. Some light at the end of the tunnel, finally, after a mixed first season in blue.
Hamilton does however finish ahead of team-mate Russell, who put in some good moves into La Source on Ricciardo and Ocon. The AlphaTauri and Alpine drivers complete the top 10.
That boosts Sainz to fourth ahead of Leclerc and Norris, whose assault on Leclerc proved short-lived.
Gasly comes across the line third to bring Alpine some cheer amid what has been a difficult weekend, while Hamilton drops from fourth to seventh with his penalty.
Checkered flag
Verstappen had to briefly cede the lead, but he storms to sprint victory over Piastri by 6.6s. A remarkable margin considering he only took the position back five laps ago.
Everybody is now having to search out wet patches to cool their intermediates. If this race had continued, a switch to slicks might not have been far off.
Verstappen has started his final lap and is on a cruise to another maximum points haul.
Hamilton looks no closer to deposing Gasly of third on the road. As it stands, Alpine look set for a sprint podium - a nice farewell to outgoing team boss Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane.
Russell is going well in the other Mercedes and gets a better exit from the Bus Stop to cleanly pass Ricciardo for eighth.
Hamilton has been issued a five-second time penalty for the earlier contact with Perez. As it stands, that will drop him a hatful of positions.
Perez duly comes in to complete a miserable sprint race. Norris meanwhile has latched onto the tail of Leclerc in a battle for sixth.
Verstappen now has clear air and has made good use of it. He's already north of 4s ahead of Piastri, who appears happy to settle for second.
Russell is also on the move and now takes ninth from Ocon into La Source.
"We're going to box and retire the car," Perez is informed.
Perez's woes continue as he's demoted a further place to 17th by Magnussen - who evidently has been talked out of a visit to the pits for slicks.
The stewards are investigating the earlier contact between Hamilton and Perez, which occurred while they were side-by-side. Hamilton isn't letting it distract him though as he chases down Gasly. His hold on third isn't looking especially Fort Knox-like.
Off goes Perez! He takes a visit to the gravel and loses a hatful of positions, rejoining 16th.
"I have no rear grip," complains Perez, who now comes under attack from Norris. Ricciardo and Ocon wait in the wings.
Now Hamilton attacks down the outside into La Source and gets the move done to take fourth away from Perez, who also loses out to both Ferraris in short order. It's a brave move from Leclerc all the way around the outside of Les Combes, forcing Perez to yield.
Contact! Hamilton dives down the inside of Perez on the exit of Stavelot but the Red Bull is having none of it.
Gasly has kept his hold on third place over Perez and Hamilton, while in the pack Sargeant gets a five-second pitlane speeding penalty.
Down the Kemmel Straight Verstappen blasts past Piastri to take the lead by the time they jump on the anchors into Les Combes. Easy as you like.
Green flag
We're back to green, and already Piastri is under attack from Verstappen!
Out of Stavelot, Piastri backs the pack up. Verstappen nonchalantly takes the opportunity to throw away a tear-off from his visor.
Magnussen says his Haas team should start to think about a switch to slicks as he reports there's a dry line already. Could anybody take the gamble after watching Alonso float off?
Race control says the safety car will be in at the end of this, the fifth lap of the race. That means we'll have just five laps of green running left.
Quote
"Intel is Piastri's left-hand tyres are already suffering," Verstappen is told. "I'm not surprised," comes the reply from inside the cockpit of the Red Bull, "he's drifting everywhere."
Piastri is the leader, and probably won't mind winding a few laps away behind the safety car. Could he become the first driver to beat a Red Bull across the line at the end of a race this season, even if it's not a full grand prix?