#BelgianGP #F1Sprint: @Max33Verstappen claims Sprint victory. #F1
Max Verstappen, #1, Oracle Red Bull Racing - Honda-RBPT, RB19, celebrating after winning the F1 Sprint, Formula 1 MSC Cruises Belgian Grand Prix 2023, Circuit De Spa-Francorchamps, Spa, Stavelot, Belgium. Image credit to Mark Thompson/Getty Images. Verstappen Belgian Sprint Victory. 2023 Belgian GP Sprint Results, F1 Belgian GP Sprint.
Verstappen Belgian Sprint Victory – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen beat McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to claim victory in the delayed Sprint race at the Belgian GP.
After spots of rain had fallen lightly as the cars initially lined up on the grid 20 minutes ahead of the scheduled race time, it began hammering down heavily 10 minutes later.
The Sprint started 17:35pm local time behind the Safety Car, which mandated all drivers to start on the blue-branded full wet tyres.
When the 11-lap Sprint began after the five formation tours, pole-sitter Verstappen took off into the lead for a lap on the full wets whilst Piastri, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton all pitted for a fresh set of intermediates.
After the opening tour, Verstappen stopped along with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris. Verstappen emerged in second behind Piastri with Gasly third, Perez fourth and Hamilton rounding out the top five. Leclerc suffered a slow-stop whilst Norris got held up due to traffic in the pit-lane.
On the third lap, Piastri held a 1.3 second lead over Verstappen with Gasly third, Perez closely behind in fourth and Hamilton completing the top five as the two Ferrari’s of Sainz and Leclerc followed in sixth and seventh respectively.
On the fourth tour, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso retired after beaching it in the gravel at turn 11 after suffering a spin from touching the slippery kerbs, which brought out the safety car.
On the fifth lap, Verstappen is told by is team that Piastri was struggling with one of his tyres. “I’m not surprised, he’s drifting everywhere,” said the Dutchman.
When the race resumed on the sixth lap, Piastri had Verstappen right on his tail and at the exit of La Source, the latter was tucked right behind the McLaren as they pushed towards the Eau Rouge/Raidillon complex and got into Piastri’s slipstream and passed him on the outside and into Les Combes to take the lead.
With five laps remaining, Verstappen built a 2.080 second gap over Piastri, with Gasly holding third as behind them Hamilton, Sainz and Leclerc all passed Perez.
Perez also slipped off into the Stavelot gravel trap and dropped into a low-16th.
With three tours remaining, Verstappen held a 4.715 second lead over Piastri with Gasly third, Hamilton fourth and Sainz fifth as Perez was called in by his team to retire the car.
Hamilton was hit with a five-second time penalty for causing a collision with Perez.
On lap ten, Mercedes’ George Russell made his way past AlphaTauri’s Daniel Ricciardo for eighth and the final points place.
Verstappen crossed the line to win the Sprint by 6.677 seconds ahead of Piastri with Gasly completing the podium.
Hamilton was demoted to seventh after being hit with his five-second time penalty meaning Sainz, Leclerc and Norris were promoted to fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.
Mercedes’ Russell took the final points place in eighth as Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and AlphaTauri’s Ricciardo rounded out the top ten.
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll finished outside the top 10 in 11th place and in-front of Williams Racing’s Alexander Albon who was 12th.
Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu finished the Sprint in 13th and 15th respectively as Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen split the C43 entries in 14th place.
Williams Racing’s Logan Sargeant took 16th and ahead of Haas F1 Team’s Nico Hulkenberg and AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda who brought up the rear.
Click here to see the full Formula 1 MSC Cruises Belgian Grand Prix 2023 F1 Sprint Results classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2023/races/1216/belgium/sprint-results.html
2023 Belgian GP F1 Sprint – The Top Three
2023 Belgian GP Sprint Winner – Max Verstappen, #1, Oracle Red Bull Racing – Honda-RBPT, RB19:
“It was a safer call [not to come in] so I didn’t mind to stay out. We lost one position, but we knew we were quick, when we put the inters on, we were flying. I need to pass a few cars [tomorrow] and the biggest risk is lap one, Turn 1. As long as we stay out of trouble, we’ll be okay.”
2nd Place – Oscar Piastri, #81, McLaren Formula 1 Team-Mercedes, MCL60:
“Very, very happy. We tried our best, we boxed when the Safety Car came in, led a few laps but we were no match for Max. Apart from Max, our pace was really strong. I can’t thank the team enough for the car, we still have a little bit of work to do but to lead my first laps is a day I won’t forget.”
3rd Place – Pierre Gasly, #10, BWT Alpine F1 Team-Renault, A523:
“I must say it feels amazing, I’m extremely happy to finish in the top 3 at Spa, it feels like some sort of home race for us. Very difficult conditions but extremely happy, we pitted at the right time, and it feels very special to do it here. I gave it everything, I could see [Hamilton] coming back and getting closer. The tyres were degrading, I just gave it my all and it paid off.”
Click here for the 2023 Formula 1 World Driver’s (Top 10) and Constructors Championship Standings
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