Could Verstappen make it 3 times at SPA one of his favourite tracks. With Leclerc on pole and two fast McLarens to deal with it could be a bridge too far. And especially as he was starting 11th on the grid even though he had had the fastest time in Qualifying. But an engine change had landed him with a 10 place grid penalty.
While intermittent rain set the stage for a wet track for Qualifying the weather forecast for the main race was dry weather which would favour the fast McLarens.
Could Charles in his Ferrari repeat his Monaco Grand Prix magic, could Verstappen blast his way through from the back to reestablish his dominance for Red Bull, or would the McLarens stake their claim as the new force. Sergio Perez is the big outsider in second, with Red Bull needing him to keep McLaren at bay whilst Verstappen works his way to the front. No doubt a thriller in the making!
But there would be a surprise …
Bold Strategies and High Stakes in Q3 Qualifying
With just twelve minutes on the clock in Q3, McLaren and Mercedes wasted no time, immediately deploying their last fresh set of intermediate tires. Ferrari, however, took a different approach, opting to start with a used set. This decision carried significant risk: if the rain intensified or a yellow flag appeared in the final minutes, Ferrari would be relegated to the fourth row. But fortune favoured the bold. The strategy allowed Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz to be the last on the track with fresh tyres, providing extra grip. Everything rode on a single lap.
Charles Leclerc rose to the occasion, delivering a stellar lap that propelled him past Sergio Perez’ time to clinch pole position.
Although Max Verstappen had recorded the fastest time he would have to start from P11 due to a 10-place grid penalty for a power unit change.
After Qualifying that left accompanying Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on the grid Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez and the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton.
The fact that Spa is one of the F1 calendar’s easiest tracks to overtake on means that starting positions are less important than at other circuits. Nevertheless, Charles Leclerc was certainly happy to be upgraded to pole from P2.
Still no-one ruled out Verstappen even starting in P11. And could the resurgent Mercedes team of Hamilton and Russell make their mark on race day?
Dramatic Belgian Grand Prix Race Sees Last-Minute Shakeup
Charles Leclerc started Sunday afternoon’s Belgian Grand Prix from pole position, launching off the grid cleanly and taking an early lead. As the race began, he managed to fend off Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez, who were battling for second place behind him. Hamilton skillfully overtook Perez at the getgo at La Source, giving Leclerc some much-needed space to maintain his lead.
Without any immediate challengers, Leclerc could focus on maintaining his pace, while Hamilton and Perez jostled for position. Lando Norris had a rough start, running over gravel and losing several places, while Hamilton held off Perez’s attempts to reclaim second.
By the third lap, Hamilton’s experience shone through as he utilized DRS to glide past Leclerc and take the lead at Turn 5. The Mercedes seemed to find its stride, with Hamilton setting the pace ahead of Leclerc until the first round of pit stops. Leclerc pitted on lap 12, rejoining in second place.
As the race progressed, Hamilton maintained a slim lead over Leclerc, with Oscar Piastri a few seconds further back. The midfield battle saw George Russell sandwiched between Red Bull’s Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen. By lap 18, Leclerc was still hot on Hamilton’s heels, but a slower pit stop on lap 25 cost him valuable time.
Russell, executing a bold one-stop strategy, emerged as a dark horse, leading by seven seconds by lap 32, despite not having made his second pit stop. Hamilton’s gap over Leclerc was 2.5 seconds, with Piastri closing in on the Ferrari driver.
Piastri’s aggressive driving paid off on lap 36 when he overtook Leclerc at Turn 5, setting his sights on Hamilton with a five-second deficit. Leclerc’s efforts to fend off Piastri allowed Hamilton to build a buffer.
In the final laps, Hamilton closed in on Russell, making a daring attempt on lap 42. However, Russell held firm as Hamilton surprisingly locked up at the final corner. In a stunning finish, Russell crossed the line first, having pulled off the one-stop strategy to perfection. Leclerc finished fourth, behind Piastri and Hamilton.
But the drama didn’t end there. A few hours post-race, it was revealed that Russell’s car was disqualified for being under the minimum weight. This unexpected turn of events handed the victory to Hamilton, promoted Piastri to second, and elevated Leclerc to the podium in third. Max Verstappen took fourth, with Lando Norris in sixth, Carlos Sainz seventh, and Sergio Perez eighth.
In an incredible twist, Hamilton was declared the winner of the Belgian GP, showcasing the unpredictable nature of Formula 1 racing. And congratulations to Charles who made podium. Go Charles!
Charles has now regained some great form since Hungary. Unfortunately for Scuderia, it’s still not enough for first place on the podium. Throughout the race, the Monegasque was never too far from Hamilton, but never close enough to overtake . There is still work to be done at Ferrari , and this summer break will be a beneficial time for them to get to work on Charles’ car.
