Verstappen dominates Belgian GP to lead Red Bull 1-2

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Max Verstappen further extended his lead atop the Drivers’ Championship following a dominant run to victory at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Verstappen started the race from 14th on the grid after taking a Power Unit grid penalty, but quickly picked his way through the field.

By lap eight, he was already back in the podium positions, with the usual midfield runners opting not to lose time by fighting him.

The reigning World Champion used his superior pace to overtake team-mate Sergio Perez, and soon after making his pit stop for the Medium tyres, he advanced ahead of Carlos Sainz for the lead of the grand prix.

From there, Verstappen was unchallenged, while Perez came home in second place, securing Red Bull’s fourth 1-2 finish of the 2022 campaign.

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Sainz ended the race in third place, while team-mate Charles Leclerc had a more trouble-some run to the chequered flag.

Leclerc was forced to make an early stop, under a Safety Car, after a visor tear-off got stuck in his front brake duct. He was running in fifth place at the chequered flag, having made a late pit stop to try for the fastest lap.

After overtaking Fernando Alonso and failing to take the fastest lap of the race, Leclerc was deemed guilty of speeding in the pit lane and was issued a five-second time penalty, demoting him behind the Alpine driver.

Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, suffered his first non-finish of the year after colliding with Alonso on the opening lap of the race.

The two were fighting for second position on the run to Les Combes, with Hamilton attempting to overtake Alonso around the outside of the corner.

However, they touched, with Hamilton’s car getting launched into the air before crashing down, bringing an end to his race.

On the following lap, Valtteri Bottas found himself stuck in the gravel after being tagged by a spinning Nicholas Latifi – they were the only two retirements from the race.

Outside the top five, Fernando Alonso crossed the line in sixth place, despite running with damage on the front left section of his car following the contact with Hamilton.

His team-mate Esteban Ocon was seventh in another strong showing for the Alpine team.

Sebastian Vettel was eighth, scoring valuable points for the Aston Martin team, ahead of Pierre Gasly who was the sole AlphaTauri driver in the top 10.

Taking the final point on offer was Alexander Albon, who scored his first top 10 finish since the Miami Grand Prix.

Keyword: Verstappen dominates Belgian GP to lead Red Bull 1-2