Belgian Grand Prix – The highs/lows of the weekend
The Grand Prix restart was highly anticipated but turned out to be very disappointing. There were very few overtakes, no suspense, and significant gaps between the drivers. However, it is Red Bull who emerges as the big winner with their team occupying the first two places.
Not much to say about this Grand Prix, but there are indeed 3 main disappointments and 3 big winners in this Grand Prix. While Ferrari once again made mistakes and lost points to Red Bull, other teams have stood out.
“Flop 3” translates to “Failure 3” in English.
– Lewis Hamilton struggling
Less than one lap and then he’s gone! After convincing qualifications and a 4th place on the starting grid, Lewis Hamilton was forced to retire on the first lap.
After a collision with Alonso at Les Combes, the British driver veered off too quickly and flew through the air. The car landed back on its wheels and the Briton continued his race. But a few corners later, Hamilton was forced to abandon. The car took a severe hit and was therefore out of track.
Leclerc loses his second place overall.
Started from the back of the grid after an engine and gearbox change alongside Verstappen, the Monegasque driver made a comeback to ultimately finish 5th. But it was just before he received a 5-second penalty due to a slightly too quick pit stop.
He finally finishes in 6th place, behind Alonso. This ranking causes him to drop to 3rd place overall, behind the two Red Bulls. Leclerc seems more than ever out of the race for the championship victory. Anyway, he himself (rightly) has given up on it.
Disappointing McLaren
In the battle for the 4th place among constructors, McLaren is falling behind Alpine. The Woking team failed to score any points with both their drivers finishing 12th and 15th. These performances are definitely not to the liking of the English camp.
7th on the grid, Ricciardo failed to maintain his position and lost many places, finishing 15th. On the other hand, Norris started 17th due to an engine change. However, he couldn’t make up for lost ground and ultimately finished 12th.
Top 3
– Red Bull solid leader
Red Bull scored a very impressive victory in this Grand Prix. With their one-two finish in Spa, the Austrian team extends their lead even further over Ferrari, both in the constructors’ and drivers’ standings.
With Leclerc’s 6th place, Perez indeed took 2nd place overall. He maintained his 2nd place on the grid and handed over the lead to his team leader.
Verstappen, on the other hand, had a perfectly successful Sunday. Starting from the back of the grid, he gained 14 positions to ultimately take the victory. He took the lead on the 12th lap and completely extinguished any suspense as the race went on. The championship seems wrapped up and Verstappen takes off.
– Alpine in the points
Alpine managed to place both of its drivers in the points. Alonso and Ocon finished 5th and 7th respectively in the Grand Prix. A very good performance to maintain 4th place in the constructors’ standings.
After announcing his departure for Aston Martin, Alonso wanted to finish this season on a high note. The vacation has succeeded in that regard for him!
Ocon also had an impeccable race. Starting from 16th place due to an engine change, the Frenchman constantly moved up the field. He was in great shape, as demonstrated by his double overtake on Gasly and Vettel a few laps before the finish. A very encouraging performance for the end of the season.
Gasly back in the top 10.
After 5 races without scoring any points, the Frenchman shone in this Grand Prix. With a solid 9th place, earned with determination, the driver managed to bring home a few valuable points for AlphaTauri.
The Normand had nonetheless left the stands after an engine problem just before the start. A penalty that didn’t prevent him from climbing positions until finally reaching a very respectable 9th place. A result that sets the tone for the end of the season.
