Race Report & Results 2023 Belgian F1 Grand Prix
Event: Belgian Grand Prix
Track: Spa-Francorchamps Circuit
Start of the season
Weather: dry 19°C
Tarmac: dry 30°C
Humidity : 62%
Wind : 2 km/h SE
Pressure: 967 mbar
Max Verstappen won his 45th F1 race at the 2023 Belgian F1 GP today. The Red Bull driver started from P6 and won on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit for the third time. It was his 10th win of the season. The Red Bull Racing team scored their 104th race win.
Verstappen Dominates Belgian F1 Grand Prix
It’s been a weekend of non-stop action at Spa, and the excitement continues with the Grand Prix today. From rain to sun, crashes to sublime performances, penalties, poles, and everything in between, this Sprint weekend has been a rollercoaster of emotions. But the drama doesn't end here, as the big points are up for grabs in the Grand Prix.
Pole Position Drama
Charles Leclerc starts on pole today, inheriting it due to Max Verstappen's grid penalty. The Monegasque driver managed the second quickest single lap time on Friday. Verstappen's setback gives Leclerc a golden opportunity to shine.
Formation Lap
As the engines roar to life, it's Leclerc leading the pack, followed by Perez, Hamilton, and Sainz. Close behind is Piastri, keeping an eye on the soft-shod Verstappen. The sun is shining, the grandstands are packed with enthusiastic fans, setting the perfect stage for the last Grand Prix before the summer break.
Race Start
Leclerc makes a clean start, but Perez aggressively blocks Hamilton, leading to a collision with Piastri. Unfortunately, Piastri sustains front wing damage and faces an early challenge. Perez takes advantage of the situation, overtakes Leclerc, and grabs the lead. Verstappen wastes no time and climbs up to fourth.
Race Developments
Perez continues to lead, with Leclerc, Hamilton, and Verstappen trailing behind. Alonso impresses with a swift climb to sixth, while Piastri struggles to make progress with his damaged car.
Mid-Race Action
Verstappen's relentless pursuit pays off, and he overtakes Leclerc to secure the second position. Meanwhile, the weather adds a twist, with some drivers yet to pit. Soft tires start to wear off, prompting multiple pit stops and tactical decisions.
Verstappen's Dominance
Max Verstappen maintains a comfortable lead, showcasing his skills and the strength of the Red Bull car. As the rain threatens to make an appearance, teams debate tire strategies and carefully assess their options.
Final Laps
The rain threat fades away, and the track dries up. Verstappen's victory looks certain, as he showcases an impeccable performance, leading with a significant margin. Sergio Perez secures a solid podium finish in second place, while Leclerc settles for third. Hamilton snatches the fastest lap, adding an extra point to his tally.
Verstappen Takes the Checkered Flag
With a dominant display of skill and speed, Max Verstappen cruises to victory, adding another win to his impressive streak. The crowd roars as Verstappen stands on top of the podium, celebrating his "home race" in Belgium. Red Bull's dominance is evident, making them the team to beat in the first half of the season.
Post-Race Reactions
Verstappen expresses his delight and camaraderie with fellow drivers, while teams analyze their performance and strategies. With the summer break ahead, teams will regroup and come back stronger for the upcoming races at Zandvoort and Monza.
The Belgian Grand Prix delivered another round of thrilling F1 action, with Verstappen showcasing his superiority on the track. As the season progresses, the competition will intensify, and fans eagerly await the showdown at Zandvoort.
Best sector times during the race were:
- 31.249 sec. by Esteban Ocon with the Alpine A532
- 46.470 sec. by Lewis Hamilton with the Mercedes W13
- 29.290 sec. by Lewis Hamilton with the Mercedes W13
Classification 2023 Belgian F1 GP
| P | No | Driver | Team | Time | Laps | Grid | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |  Max Verstappen |  Red Bull | 01:22:30.450 | 44 | 5 | 33 |
| 2 | 11 |  Sergio Pérez | Red Bull | 01:22:52.755 | 44 | 2 | 18 |
| 3 | 16 |  Charles Leclerc |  Ferrari | 01:23:02.709 | 44 | 1 | 19 |
| 4 | 44 |  Lewis Hamilton |  Mercedes | 01:23:20.121 | 44 | 3 | 15 |
| 5 | 14 |  Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 01:23:26.634 | 44 | 9 | 10 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 01:23:33.551 | 44 | 8 | 9 |
| 7 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 01:23:44.169 | 44 | 7 | 9 |
| 8 | 31 |  Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 01:23:45.169 | 44 | 14 | 4 |
| 9 | 18 |  Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 01:23:49.790 | 44 | 10 | 2 |
| 10 | 22 |  Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 01:23:50.671 | 44 | 11 | 1 |
| 11 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 01:23:53.534 | 44 | 12 | 6 |
| 12 | 77 |  Valtteri Bottas |  Alfa Romeo | 01:23:55.641 | 44 | 13 | 0 |
| 13 | 24 |  Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo | 01:24:05.891 | 44 | 17 | 0 |
| 14 | 23 |  Alex Albon | Williams | 01:24:06.634 | 44 | 15 | 0 |
| 15 | 20 |  Kevin Magnussen |  Haas | 01:24:12.204 | 44 | 16 | 0 |
| 16 | 3 |  Daniel Ricciardo | AlphaTauri | 01:24:13.521 | 44 | 19 | 0 |
| 17 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | 01:24:14.926 | 44 | 18 | 0 |
| 18 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas | 01:24:20.900 | 44 | 20 | 0 |
| DNF | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | Collision damage | 23 | 4 | 5 |
| DNF | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | Collision damage | 0 | 5 | 7 |
Fastest lap: 1:47.305 min by Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes W13 #44 in lap 44
| 2023 Belgian F1 GP Results |
| FP1 2023 Belgian F1 GP |
| Quali 2023 Belgian F1 GP |
| SQuali FP3 2023 Belgian F1 GP |
| Sprint 2023 Belgian F1 GP |
| Start grid 2023 Belgian GP |
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Dominance yet again, but some good battles & decent strategic variation behind.
Sainz’s move on Piastri, though, & I was surprised he didn’t retire until nearly halfway through.
Good race by Yuki for a change, something he needed at this time.
I don't believe RIC will impress enough to consider replacing Perez with him.
For all RIC's talk his 2 races have been with a different strategy to others .
TSU was ahead of RIC's time in qualifying before RIC had his lap disallowed.
McLaren were corrrect in replacing RIC with PIA as PIA had a year off and is driving an F1 car for the first time at each of these tracks.
He is very impressive
Torger we have the 2nd fastest car on the grid, Lewis I couldn't catch the ferrari, and the bouncing is very bad i could only get fastest lap----Again Torger and his adopted Son very flat in the interviews Any more rubbish from Merc and they should be join the circus. Well done Rb, its upto the rest to build faster cars if they cant , get a newer book of excuses
Some good racing today overall
From yesterday's post:
"...that I'm going to start predicting VER winning intervals rather than race results. Tomorrow, 21-23 seconds..."
Toot-toot goes the horn. What was the actual interval? 22.305 sec.
Pure class..... lol
It was an internal struggle, but I crave the recognition. LOL smh
Besides, I'm so seldom correct about anything that I deserve it.
After 1 race I posted that RB may win every race but I didn't think it was possible to win every sprint race too. Anyhow, RB are so settled there's no need to replace the hapless Perez unless it's with the just as hapless commercial driver like Ricardo.
Shame Mclaren have Oscar for the 24 season as he's one of the few real deal drivers who'd challenge MV opposed to current crop of journey men.
By far the fastest car has won but as this season proves if one of the drivers is clueless then you have a season finished with over 2 months still to go. Get a decent 2nd driver RB.
How about if sir Lulu gave it a go he's probably looking for a faster car & it would,, most certainly living up the first row., fans would love it Max & Sir Lulu driving for the same team.
Red Bull doesn’t need the drama queen under toe. Max is an exceptional driver, Perez just needs to understand his role in the world, being second in the championship is a great place to be. Louise would be more trouble than he is worth. His unprofessional comments proves that. Why the need, when there isn’t any.
And remember the carnage in 21, bad enough having other teams crashing into you, the cost would be eye watering. Who do you think would give first? Max, Lewis, neither? Let’s have a vote.
They could also give Toto a job, theres a place he might possibly manage to fill as sir Lulu's trainer, filling Angies spot, see you have to use your imagination.He could wear sir Lulu's latest creations whilst tending his needs. 😜
Hes certainly not enjoying being the Boss at Mercedes at the moment that's for sure, I almost felt sorry for him , but I managed to come to my senses at the last moment.....
Glad to here that Shropp, but I'd be a hypocrite if I was to say that I like Max winning all the time when I used to moan about sir Lulu winning all the time,, not sure what can be done about it though. 😜
Brilliant comment, Donalf, you put a smile on my face just visualizing that. Poor Toto!