Author: Barkha Roy
Max Verstappen’s dominance was on full display at the Belgian Grand Prix, when he secured his eighth consecutive win in Formula 1. Despite starting from the third row due to a grid penalty, the Dutch driver quickly made his way through the pack, overtaking his teammate Sergio Perez to take the top spot. Verstappen’s remarkable achievement showed his prowess as one of F1’s best drivers, with the Red Bull team’s exceptional strategy and flawless execution playing a crucial role in his success. As the season progressed, fans looked forward to more thrilling battles on the track as the drivers competed for the championship title.
📻: “There wasn’t much left in that lap, probably 11 milliseconds but” 😆
We appreciate the honesty, Oscar Piastri, but what a mighty lap that was for P2 in qualifying!
Relive some of the best moments across the airwaves in Belgium 🍿#BelgianGP #F1 @McLarenF1 @paramountplus
– Formula 1 (@F1) July 31, 2023
At the Belgian Grand Prix, the race began with Charles Leclerc maintaining his pole position, leading the pack of Pérez and Hamilton. However, a collision involving Oscar Piastri’s McLaren and Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari resulted in Piastri’s early exit from the race. Pérez made his move quickly, overtaking Leclerc on the Kemmel straight to take the lead. Verstappen, who started sixth, showed impressive overtaking skills, moving up to fourth after the incident.
As the laps passed, Verstappen narrowed the gap to Pérez and ended up overtaking him using DRS on lap 17. Despite facing light rain and almost losing control of the car after Eau Rouge, Verstappen kept the lead and continued to extend it throughout the race.
A microscopic blip in an otherwise faultless weekend for @Max33Verstappen ✨#BelgianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/uihjciS1N
– Formula 1 (@F1) July 31, 2023
Mercedes’ George Russell put in a strong performance, executing a one-stop strategy to secure a surprising sixth place. McLaren’s Lando Norris recovered from early problems to pick up valuable points with a seventh place finish. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon made some clever manoeuvres on the track and took eighth place, followed by AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda in ninth and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll completing the top ten.
Unfortunately, the race ended prematurely for Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz due to a collision in the first corner.
Brilliant on Saturday, but on Sunday it wasn’t to be for Piastri 💔#BelgianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/wSSU3mBkPC
– Formula 1 (@F1) July 31, 2023
Verstappen had an impressive start to the Belgian Grand Prix, gaining two positions on the first lap due to a collision between Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. Unfortunately, the incident caused Sainz and Piastri to retire from the race. Undeterred, the Dutch driver showed his skill and seriousness by calmly overtaking Hamilton, Leclerc and Pérez to take the lead after 17 laps out of a total of 44.
During the race, a brief shower passed over the circuit, but it wasn’t heavy enough to force any of the drivers to switch to intermediate tires. Despite this small challenge, Verstappen maneuvered masterfully through the high-speed section of Eau Rouge, narrowly avoiding any mishaps.
With the potential threat of rain behind him, Verstappen concentrated on extending his lead, completely ignoring his race engineer’s suggestions to drive more cautiously. As a result, he managed to create an incredible 22-second gap between himself and his teammate Pérez when they crossed the finish line, securing his eighth consecutive victory in imposing fashion.
Toasting the summer break with some bubbles… and other drinks too, according to @SChecoPerez 😜
Wait till the end to find out what 😉#BelgianGP #F1 @FerrariTrento pic.twitter.com/vF5YXPVKDM
– Formula 1 (@F1) July 31, 2023
With a gap of three weeks, fans were eagerly awaiting the next Grand Prix, to be held in Zandvoort, Holland, where Verstappen’s supporters were counting on another strong performance from the Dutch driver. As the season went on, the battle for the championship remained intense and the drivers were determined to make their mark on the world of Formula 1.
In the 2023 F1 season, the championship battle is largely dominated by Red Bull drivers, with Max Verstappen leading the pack with an impressive 314 points. His teammate, Sergio Perez, secured a solid second place with 189 points. Aston Martin’s Carlos Sainz Jr. impressed with third place, closely followed by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in fourth with 148 points. Fifth place resulted in a tie between Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ George Russell, both on 99 points. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Sr. made a significant contribution to his team’s standings, securing seventh place with 92 points, while McLaren’s Lando Norris was eighth with 69 points. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon completed the top ten with 47 and 35 points respectively.