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Formula 1 Belgian GP

F1 Grand Prix race results: Verstappen wins Belgian GP

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday, overcoming a grid penalty for a power unit change that meant he started from the midfield.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB18, Lance Stroll, Aston Martin AMR22, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari F1-75

From 14th on the grid, Verstappen surged through the field to take the lead after just 12 of the 44 laps.

Early leader Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) briefly retook P1 after the first pitstop cycle, but Verstappen was on much fresher tyres and hit the front again on Lap 18. Sergio Perez’s Red Bull also passed Sainz to finish second.

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2022 Belgian Grand Prix race results

Cla Driver Chassis Laps Time Gap Interval km/h Points
1 Netherlands Max Verstappen Red Bull 44 1:25'52.894     215.216 26
2 Mexico Sergio Perez Red Bull 44 1:26'10.735 17.841 17.841 214.473 18
3 Spain Carlos Sainz Ferrari 44 1:26'19.780 26.886 9.045 214.099 15
4 United Kingdom George Russell Mercedes 44 1:26'22.034 29.140 2.254 214.006 12
5 Spain Fernando Alonso Alpine 44 1:27'06.150 1'13.256 44.116 212.199 8
6 Monaco Charles Leclerc Ferrari 44 1:27'07.830 1'14.936 1.680 212.131 10
7 France Esteban Ocon Alpine 44 1:27'08.534 1'15.640 0.704 212.102 6
8 Germany Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 44 1:27'11.001 1'18.107 2.467 212.002 4
9 France Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 44 1:27'25.075 1'32.181 14.074 211.434 2
10 Thailand Alex Albon Williams 44 1:27'34.794 1'41.900 9.719 211.042 1
11 Canada Lance Stroll Aston Martin 44 1:27'35.972 1'43.078 1.178 210.995  
12 United Kingdom Lando Norris McLaren 44 1:27'37.633 1'44.739 1.661 210.928  
13 Japan Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 44 1:27'38.111 1'45.217 0.478 210.909  
14 China Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 44 1:27'39.146 1'46.252 1.035 210.868  
15 Australia Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 44 1:27'40.057 1'47.163 0.911 210.831  
16 Denmark Kevin Magnussen Haas 43 1:25'53.332 1 Lap 1 Lap 210.305  
17 Germany Mick Schumacher Haas 43 1:25'56.152 1 Lap 2.820 210.190  
18 Canada Nicholas Latifi Williams 43 1:26'03.792 1 Lap 7.640 209.879  
  Finland Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 1 2'05.651 43 Laps 42 Laps 197.117  
  United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 0          
 

How the Belgian Grand Prix unfolded

Sainz, who started on soft tyres, held his pole advantage on the run to Turn 1, leading ahead of Fernando Alonso (Alpine) and the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, as Perez slipped back to fifth from the front row.

Hamilton and Alonso clashed at Les Combes on the opening lap, the contact sending Hamilton flying up in the air and allowing Perez – who passed Russell right behind them – to vault back up to second. Hamilton was forced to pull off at Blanchimont, with his car smoking profusely. Soon after that, Nicholas Latifi spun his Williams and took out Valtteri Bottas’s Alfa Romeo at Les Combes on Lap 2, causing a safety car.

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Verstappen was up to eighth by the end of the opening lap, two spots ahead of Leclerc – but Leclerc pitted under the safety car after reporting smoke from his right-front corner, dropping him to 17th. The team confirmed a helmet visor tear-off had got stuck in his brake duct.

The race restarted in the order Sainz, Perez, Russell, Alonso, Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin), Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren), Alex Albon (Williams) and Verstappen.

Verstappen, who started on soft tyres, quickly picked off Albon at Rivage and Ricciardo at the final chicane.

By Lap 7, Verstappen was up to fourth after passing Vettel and Alonso in smart succession. He then DRS-ed past Russell for third on Lap 8. Meantime, Leclerc was having to battle his way through the backmarkers, rising to 12th by Lap 10.

Leader Sainz just managed to stay out of DRS range from Perez, who was oddly holding up the charging Verstappen at this point. Sainz pitted for fresh mediums on Lap 12, moments before Verstappen passed Perez for the lead, and rejoined mired in traffic – having to lunge past Ricciardo at Pouhon as Verstappen ran in clear air out front.

Perez stopped on Lap 15, behind Sainz but ahead of Leclerc – who he shoved wide onto the kerb approaching Les Combes. Verstappen pitted a lap later, rejoining 4.7s behind Sainz but on much fresher medium tyres.

Verstappen DRS-ed past Sainz to retake the lead on Lap 18, and Perez took second from Sainz three tours later.

Sainz pitted again on Lap 26, taking hard tyres until the end, with Leclerc also stopping to take more mediums. Leclerc passed Vettel for fifth, which was the best he could manage after his unfortunate early delay.

Both Red Bulls also stopped again, with Verstappen winning by 17s over Perez. Russell closed up on Sainz in the closing stages until he ran wide at Stavelot with four laps to go, which let the Ferrari driver keep his spot on the podium.

Behind Russell in fourth, Leclerc stopped again for a bid to get fastest lap on soft tyres, but this allowed Alonso past him. He repassed Alonso on the final lap to snatch fourth but his last lap was still some six-tenths off Verstappen’s best, and – to add insult to injury – Leclerc was given a 5s penalty for speeding in the pits, that dropped him behind Alonso anyway.

Behind Alonso was his teammate Esteban Ocon – who twice overtook two cars in one move in his Alpine – Vettel and Pierre Gasly, who finished eighth ninth for AlphaTauri, despite a pit-lane start. Albon took the final point in 10th.

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2022 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix fastest laps

Cla Driver Chassis Laps Time Gap Interval km/h
1 Netherlands Max Verstappen Red Bull 32 1'49.354     230.575
2 Monaco Charles Leclerc Ferrari 44 1'49.984 0.630 0.630 229.255
3 Mexico Sergio Perez Red Bull 29 1'50.764 1.410 0.780 227.640
4 United Kingdom George Russell Mercedes 31 1'50.793 1.439 0.029 227.581
5 United Kingdom Lando Norris McLaren 31 1'51.678 2.324 0.885 225.777
6 France Esteban Ocon Alpine 36 1'51.717 2.363 0.039 225.698
7 Spain Carlos Sainz Ferrari 32 1'51.977 2.623 0.260 225.174
8 Canada Nicholas Latifi Williams 38 1'52.256 2.902 0.279 224.615
9 China Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 30 1'52.317 2.963 0.061 224.493
10 Japan Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 32 1'52.436 3.082 0.119 224.255
11 Germany Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 40 1'52.515 3.161 0.079 224.098
12 Germany Mick Schumacher Haas 35 1'52.646 3.292 0.131 223.837
13 Spain Fernando Alonso Alpine 35 1'52.868 3.514 0.222 223.397
14 Canada Lance Stroll Aston Martin 29 1'52.880 3.526 0.012 223.373
15 France Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 24 1'53.002 3.648 0.122 223.132
16 Thailand Alex Albon Williams 28 1'53.055 3.701 0.053 223.027
17 Australia Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 34 1'53.080 3.726 0.025 222.978
18 Denmark Kevin Magnussen Haas 29 1'53.332 3.978 0.252 222.482

2022 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix pitstops

Cla Driver Chassis 1 2 3 4
1 Netherlands Max Verstappen Red Bull S 15 M 15 M 14    
2 Mexico Sergio Perez Red Bull M 14 M 13 H 17    
3 Spain Carlos Sainz Ferrari S 13 M 14 H 19    
4 United Kingdom George Russell Mercedes M 13 M 16 H 15    
5 Spain Fernando Alonso Alpine M 11 M 14 H 19    
6 Monaco Charles Leclerc Ferrari S 3 M 22 M 17 S 5
7 France Esteban Ocon Alpine M 12 H 20 M 12    
8 Germany Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin M 15 H 19 M 12    
9 France Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri M 10 H 12 M 22 S 0
10 Thailand Alex Albon Williams M 10 H 16 M 18    
11 Canada Lance Stroll Aston Martin M 16 M 12 H 18    
12 United Kingdom Lando Norris McLaren M 13 H 16 M 15    
13 Japan Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri H 18 M 12 M 14 S 0
14 China Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo M 14 M 14 S 16    
15 Australia Daniel Ricciardo McLaren M 12 H 20 M 12    
16 Denmark Kevin Magnussen Haas M 11 H 16 M 16    
17 Germany Mick Schumacher Haas M 14 H 16 M 13    
18 Canada Nicholas Latifi Williams M 3 M 13 H 19 S 9
  Finland Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo S 1            
  United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton Mercedes M 0            

 

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