Event: Belgian Grand Prix
Track: Spa-Francorchamps Circuit
Weather: wet 19°C
Tarmac: wet 26°C
Humidity: 83%
Wind: 1 km/h SE
Pressure: 962 mbar
Verstappen Dominates in the 2023 Belgian F1 Sprint Race
In a thrilling and rain-soaked race, Max Verstappen showcased his mastery at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, during the 2023 F1 Sprint race. The Red Bull driver displayed sheer dominance as he cruised to victory, leaving his competitors trailing behind.
Delayed Start
Due to the unpredictable weather conditions and heavy rain, the start of the Sprint race was delayed. The FIA took the decision to ensure the safety of the drivers, marshals, and fans. Teams frantically changed their tires, preparing for the challenging conditions.
Despite the delay, the Sprint race delivered intense action and gripping battles, leaving fans on the edge of their seats.
Verstappen and Piastri Lead
In the midst of changing weather conditions, Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri emerged as the front-runners, skillfully maneuvering their way through the challenging track. Piastri showcased impressive tire management skills, ensuring he maintained a competitive position. However, Verstappen's relentless pursuit eventually paid off, as he passed Piastri and claimed the lead in the lap right after the safety car had gone into the pits.
Perez's Misfortune
Sergio Perez faced a series of unfortunate events during the Sprint race. After sustaining damage from an incident with Hamilton, he was forced to retire his car due to a hole in his sidepod. This unfortunate turn of events relegated Perez to a disappointing finish.
Russell's Remarkable Overtake
During the 10th lap, George Russell pulled off a remarkable overtake on Daniel Ricciardo, securing the final point position. However, the highlight of the lap was Hamilton receiving a time penalty, which significantly impacted his race.
Final Lap Drama
As the race entered its final lap, Verstappen's lead was formidable, leaving his rivals little chance of catching up. Oscar Piastri, who had been putting on an impressive performance, was left to ponder what could have been had the Safety Car not made an appearance. Pierre Gasly held onto third place, putting up a valiant defense against Lewis Hamilton, who faced the disappointment of dropping to seventh due to a time penalty for causing a collision.
Classification 2023 Belgian Sprint
| P | No | Driver | Team | Time | Laps | Points |
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 24:58.433 | 11 | 8 |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +6.677s | 11 | 7 |
| 3 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +10.733s | 11 | 6 |
| 4 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | +12.648s | 11 | 5 |
| 5 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +15.016s | 11 | 4 |
| 6 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +16.052s | 11 | 3 |
| 7 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | +16.757s | 11 | 2 |
| 8 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | +16.822s | 11 | 1 |
| 9 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | +22.410s | 11 | |
| 10 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | AlphaTauri | +22.806s | 11 | |
| 11 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +25.007s | 11 | |
| 12 | 23 | Alex Albon | Williams | +26.303s | 11 | |
| 13 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo | +27.006s | 11 | |
| 14 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | +32.986s | 11 | |
| 15 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo | +36.342s | 11 | |
| 16 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | +37.571s | 11 | |
| 17 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas | +37.827s | 11 | |
| 18 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | +39.267s | 11 | |
| NC | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull | DNF | 8 | |
| 20 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | DNF | 2 |
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Rumour is that, based on safety car led laps, the FIA is asking Spa to apply for parade permits rather than race sanctions. They took away the ol' girl's teeth, now they want her dignity.
bit messy today seemed as if the fia were just making up new rules to suit the scenario
I have to be honest, I haven't a clue what has gone on today or on Friday, hopefully for my sake we will have an F1 race tomorrow with no rain. 😜
Sorry I meant for everyone's sake we have a good day tomorrow even if sir Lulu wins.
Let me update you. VER was fastest in race quali, fastest in sprint shootout and won the sprint. He was then seen nodding at Freddie and waving at the totster. 7 journo's then wrote that he is in negotiations with both Ferrari and Mercedes regarding a 1 billion dollar,10 yr contract beginning in 2029. Oh, and Spa put pretty paint on the corner runoff areas to satisfy the FIA upgrade mandate.
Sidepods on f1 cars seem to be very vulnerable to competitive competition which makes me think we should deter contact by adding tyre puncturing spikes to the sidepods and the rear wheels, laugh if you may but it would be sure as hell more reliable than the FIAs decisions. 😂
clown cars , put it in an email to the fia , theyll offer you a top job
Clown Cars 🤡
I’m going to run that concept past Alphine it should get them the extra second they need.
Problem is that the 'engineers' would find a loophole in the reg and we'd end with claymore mines blowing away the offending cars.
I would simply remove the Sidepods. I can’t believe no one had thought of that concept.
Another delay that was caused by over-cautiosness, although ultimately, a decent sprint for ten laps.
Max, as expected, retook the lead easily on the Kemmel straight as if he’d activated DRS, although the five-second penalty for Lewis was BS.
I don’t know how the stewards can realistically view such a racing incident as his fault.
Nevertheless, Checo must’ve sustained some damage alongside losing grip, considering how easily he started losing positions shortly after.
Yuki probably messed up when he dropped to last in an unseen incident & he lost to Danny Ric again on merit.
Shroppyfly moonlighting as a steward this weekend. 😁😁
Surprised he didn’t ban Lewis for life.
There's still time....