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2022 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix Live Coverage

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2022 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix Live Coverage 6 photos
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2022 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix Live Coverage2022 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix Live Coverage2022 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix Live Coverage2022 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix Live Coverage2022 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix Live Coverage
The 2022 Formula One Belgian Grand Prix will unfold today. It is the first race after the summer break, and many teams have changed their cars significantly.
Besides all that, a number of drivers received penalties for changing components. As a result, as it always been the case, the Belgian Grand Prix will probably be full of memorable moments. Plus, it's the first time we are racing here in two years because last year, well, we all know what happened.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen topped qualifying on Saturday by a considerable margin. However, the defending world champion will have to start the race from P15 on the grid due to a penalty for exceeding his allocation of power unit elements.

Leclerc's main rival for the title has also been hit with a penalty, and he will start from P16. As a result, Sainz will start from the pole alongside Sergio Perez. Alpine's Fernando Alonso will be starting from third, ahead of the top Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton.
Live updates (ended):

14:50 UTC  See you next week for the Dutch Grand Prix.

14:45 UTC 

14:43 UTC  The top ten at the end of the race:

  • Verstappen, Red Bull
  • Perez, Red Bull
  • Sainz, Ferrari
  • Russell, Mercedes
  • Alonso, Alpine
  • Leclerc, Ferrari
  • Ocon, Alpine
  • Vettel, Aston Martin
  • Gasly, AlphaTauri
  • Albon, Williams

14:43 UTC  Perez moved up to second place in the drivers' championship.

14:41 UTC  We are getting ready for the podium celebration and the champagne fight.

14:41 UTC 

14:39 UTC 

14:39 UTC  Verstappen: "It was quite a hectic first lap to stay out of trouble. But once we settled in after the safety car, the car was really on rails."

14:38 UTC  Sainz: "Unfortunately it was harder than expected. We got a good start, a good restart, but the pace was not there. There was a lot of overheating on the tires."

14:37 UTC  Verstappen is of course driver of the day after an amazing race.

14:37 UTC  Perez: "I really hoped for more, today was a really good opportunity. But Max was flying, he was on another planet. He was untouchable."

14:34 UTC  Disaster over disaster for Leclerc. He recieved a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

14:33 UTC 

14:33 UTC 

14:33 UTC 

14:32 UTC 

14:31 UTC  Sainz keeps Russell behind to take the last place on the podium.

14:31 UTC  What a performance by Max Verstappen. Starting at the back of the grid to win in a dominant race. Crazy!!!

14:30 UTC 

14:30 UTC  It's a one-two for Red Bull here at Spa.

14:30 UTC  While Leclerc overtakes Alonso to take back P5, Verstappen wins the race.

14:29 UTC 

14:28 UTC  Alonso overtakes Charles Leclerc for the last place in the top five.

14:27 UTC  Tsunoda overtakes Zhou for P13.

14:25 UTC  With three laps to go things are set here.

14:24 UTC  Ferrari had a big downfall in performance for this race. Hopefully they will bounce back in Monza.

14:23 UTC 

14:22 UTC  Verstappen is cruising to another win this season.

14:22 UTC  Sainz has stabilised the gap to Russell for now, keeping it open by 2.5s.

14:20 UTC 

14:20 UTC  Russell is within two seconds of Sainz now, but the Ferrari man seems to be trying to pick up the pace as he desperately tries to hold on to the last podium spot.

14:19 UTC  While Ferrari is on Plan D McLaren have reached now the Plan G. Maybe by the end someone will be on Plan Z.

14:17 UTC 

14:16 UTC  Russell is only two seconds behind Sainz with seven laps to go.

14:15 UTC  Meanwhile, Albon, Stroll, Norris and Zhou are fighting for the last place in top ten.

14:15 UTC  Vettel, Ocon and Gasly are in for a great fight.

14:14 UTC  With eight laps to go things are pretty straight in the front. However, in the middle pack we still see a lot of battles.

14:13 UTC 

14:13 UTC  Verstappen has reported some shifting issues, but the team reassure him that the problem should resolve itself in a lap or two.

14:11 UTC  In his first declarations, Lewis Hamilton said that it's his fault for that incident with Alonso.

14:11 UTC  Sainz is trying his best, but Russell is getting closer and closer.

14:11 UTC  Russell has taken a couple of seconds out of Sainz in the fight for third. Sainz is told to try his best.

14:10 UTC  Verstappen just did the fastest lap. A second faster than anyone else.

14:08 UTC  Meanwhile Verstappen is cruising in the lead with a big gap over Perez.

14:07 UTC  Norris overtakes Zhou on the Kemmel straight to take P13.

14:05 UTC 

14:04 UTC  Meanwhile Russell comes in a lap later than first called, taking the hard tyres on for his final stint.

14:03 UTC  Verstappen is in the pits. However he has a big advantage over Perez and he will exit P1.

14:03 UTC 

14:02 UTC  Leclerc, with DRS, charges by Ocon to move back up to sixth place.

14:00 UTC  Alonso is doing a great job overtaking people left and right.

13:59 UTC 

13:59 UTC 

13:58 UTC  Verstappen has now a 11 second lead over Perez.

13:57 UTC  Williams is having a lot of fun here at Spa.

13:57 UTC  Sainz drops just behind Russell into P4.

13:56 UTC  Sainz fitted the hard tires. Leclerc and Alonso did the same a lap later.

13:54 UTC 

13:54 UTC  Russell's starting to close down Sainz now - Ferrari struggling to find race pace at this point.

13:53 UTC 

13:50 UTC 

13:50 UTC  As things stands Verstappen is extending his lead even more over the likes of Perez, Leclerc and Sainz.

13:49 UTC  Stroll overtakes Pierre Gasly for P11.

13:49 UTC  The Red Bull cars are flying here at Spa after Perez clears Sainz for P2.

13:47 UTC 

13:44 UTC  At the end of lap 18 Tsunoda pits for the first time, swapping his hards for mediums.

13:42 UTC  Leclerc is going pretty slow as he has a discussion with the Ferrari engineers.

13:42 UTC 

13:42 UTC 

13:41 UTC  Verstappen has already a three-second lead over Sainz.

13:40 UTC 

13:40 UTC  Verstappen is now in the lead after clearing Sainz very easy on the main straight.

13:39 UTC  And Mick Schumacher made a beautiful overtake on Latifi at Eau Rouge. Something like Webber did on Alonso in 2011.

13:38 UTC  All the midfield runners apart from Tsunoda - who started on the hards from pitlane - have pitted at least once, which sees the Japanese driver up in seventh, but he's just been overtaken by Alonso.

13:38 UTC  Ferrari told Leclerc that they are going Plan D.

13:37 UTC 

13:37 UTC  Apparently Leclerc had a little contact with Perez and it seems like something is wrong with his car. He is very slow.

13:36 UTC  Leclerc is falling back as he is cleared by Russell. What happened?

13:35 UTC  As a result, Sainz regained the lead. However, Verstappen went out ahead of Perez in P2.

13:35 UTC  Verstappen is the next one to enter the pit stops.

13:35 UTC 

13:34 UTC  Perez went out from the pits just ahead of Leclerc.

13:34 UTC  Sainz has made his way past Vettel, as Verstappen starts to discuss strategy with his team.

13:33 UTC 

13:33 UTC 

13:33 UTC  Sergio Perez is called into the pits. He was losing a lot of time.

13:31 UTC  Meanwhile Sainz is a man on a mission. He overtakes Vettel in the chicane.

13:31 UTC  Sainz clears Ricciardo for fifth. Ricciardo has entered the pits now.

13:30 UTC 

13:29 UTC  Sainz has bolted on the mediums and returns in sixth, behind Ricciardo.

13:28 UTC 

13:28 UTC  Max overtakes Sergio for P1. It took him 12 laps to get from P15 to P1.

13:28 UTC  Sainz is in the pits. Verstappen is right behind Sergio. What a start for the defending champion who now has the first chance for victory.

13:27 UTC  Max complains that he is losing a lot of time behind Perez.

13:27 UTC  Another fight between two world champions. Alonso is trying to keep Vettel behind for fifth place.

13:26 UTC  Norris overtakes Magnussen for P10.

13:25 UTC  Perez is just ahead of Max. Will he let the Dutchman pass, or will we have a battle between the two?

13:24 UTC 

13:24 UTC 

13:23 UTC 

13:23 UTC  Sainz is starting to have some tire issues.

13:23 UTC  Finally Charles overtakes Gasly.

13:23 UTC  Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc is stuck in a long DRS train. He's 16th tucked up behind a line of cars led by Magnussen up in 11th.

13:22 UTC  Verstappen is already in P3 after overtaking Russell before Turn 5.

13:21 UTC 

13:21 UTC 

13:20 UTC  Schumacher has endured a poor restart to the race and is running in last place having been passed by Leclerc and Latifi.

13:19 UTC  Sainz is increasing his lead over Perez, having two-second over the Mexican at the end of Lap 7.

13:19 UTC  Verstappen is going in "Super Max" mode. He just overtook Alonso.

13:18 UTC  The safety car helped Verstappen a lot. He is now in the top five after seven laps.

13:17 UTC  Albon overtakes Ricciardo with a nice move.

13:17 UTC  Verstappen gains two places on lap of that safety car restart, as he dives up the inside of Ricciardo braking for the final chicane. He's now in P6.

13:17 UTC 

13:16 UTC  Verstappen gets by Albon to move up to seventh at Les Combes on the restart.

13:15 UTC 

13:15 UTC  Alonso tried to overtake Russell, but the Silver Arrow driver kept his ground.

13:14 UTC  Sainz had a good restart and Russell is pressing on Perez for P2.

13:14 UTC  We are ready for more racing.

13:13 UTC  Ferrari have told Leclerc his issue was actually a tear off in the cooling system, not a slow puncture.

13:13 UTC  The safety car is entering the pits at the end of Lap 4.

13:13 UTC  What a contact between the two world champions, Hamilton and Alonso.

13:13 UTC 

13:11 UTC  Charles Leclerc is in the pits. A change in the strategy at the Ferrari team.

13:11 UTC  The current top ten:

  • Sainz, Ferrari
  • Perez, Red Bull
  • Russell, Mercedes
  • Alonso, Alpine
  • Vettel, Aston Martin
  • Ricciardo, McLaren
  • Albon, Williams
  • Verstappen, Red Bull
  • Stroll, Aston Martin
  • Leclerc, Ferrari

13:09 UTC  Alonso is very mad saying on the radio that Hamilton knows how to drive only when he is in P1.

13:08 UTC 

13:08 UTC  Latifi ran wide and spun into Bottas.

13:07 UTC  Safety car is out. Bottas is in the gravel after a contact with Latifi.

13:07 UTC 

13:06 UTC  Perez is back in second place, but Sainz has already a two-second lead.

13:06 UTC  Verstappen is already in P8 while Leclerc is in P10.

13:05 UTC  Hamilton has problems after having contact with Alonso. He is told to stop.

13:05 UTC  Alonso overtakes Hamilton. 2007 flashbacks.

13:05 UTC  And the race is on. Sainz had a great start while Perez was overtaken by both Mercedes cars.

13:04 UTC  The top ten for the Belgian Grand Prix:

  • 1 - #55 - Carlos Sainz
  • 2 - #11 - Sergio Perez
  • 3 - #14 - Fernando Alonso
  • 4 - #44 - Lewis Hamilton
  • 5 - #63 - George Russell
  • 6 - #23 - Alexander Albon
  • 7 - #3 - Daniel Ricciardo
  • 8 - #10 - Pierre Gasly
  • 9 - #18 - Lance Stroll
  • 10 - #5 - Sebastian Vettel

12:58 UTC 

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About the author: Silvian Irimia
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Silvian may be the youngest member of our team, being born in the 2000s, but you won't find someone more passionate than him when it comes to motorsport. An automotive engineer by trade, Silvian considers the Ferrari F50 his favorite car, with the original Lamborghini Countach a close second.
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