VERSTAPPEN EASES TO VICTORY IN SPA

Formula One returned to Spa in Belgium 12 months after the race that never was and it certainly gave us some drama that we missed out on last year. After a bunch of grid penalties Verstappen was forced to start in 14th after being the fastest all weekend and it didn't take the Championship leader to make his way through the field and find himself in first and leading this race.
As the lights went out it was Carlos Sainz, (Ferrari) gets away well from pole as Fernando Alonso, (Alpine) is into second with Perez (Red Bull) dropping back it's then Hamilton (Mercedes) and Russell (Mercedes) and Perez behind them. Then into Lecombe HAMILTON AND ALONSO MAKE CONTACT but they both are able to carry on. After all that Perez is back into second and Russell is into third but Hamilton is going slow and has to stop that is Hamiltons weekend over.
On the very next lap Nicholas Latifi (Williams) gets on the kerb and spins and tags Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) - Bottas spins and is out with a beached Alfa Romeo causing the full Safety Car to be deployed. Latifi is able to continue.
Under the Safety Car on lap four Leclerc pits after seeing smoke from the front right after a tear off gets into the brake ducts, and puts on a fresh set of mediums and is down into 17th.
On lap five the Safety Car is in and Sainz is away well after a lock up into the final corner, with Perez in second and Russell fends off Alonso for third place.
On lap 11 Sainz pits from first giving Perez the lead of the race from Verstappen and Russell in third. Sainz is back out on the track in fifth after his pitstop. The very next lap Red Bull swap Verstappen and Perez meaning Verstappen now leads the race.
It was lap 15 when Verstappen pitted from the lead giving Sainz the lead of this race once more with Verstappen coming back out in second with Perez in third. Just a few laps later on lap 18 it was a simple move with a bit of DRS and Verstappen is past Sainz for the lead of the race. That was the last the rest of the grid saw of Verstappen as he raced away to an easy 29th career win.
Lap 26 - 30: The second phase of pitstops takes place.
The next race is the Dutch Grand Prix.
COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER: Under section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. All images are owned by Formula One.
Comments