Photo: McLaren F1
The third Sprint Race of the season has concluded in Belgium at the iconic Spa Francorchamps race track. Rain again impeded the event, but spectators were glad the race continued. Max Verstappen has dominated the championship for weeks and weeks now, but there is newfound hope that the young Rookie from Australia might end the Flying Dutchman's reign.
Red Bull Racing's Ace driver was the fastest in the Sprint Shootout session during the first part of Day Two at Spa, but Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz were similarly quick. The following five drivers on the starting grid were all within a second slower than Verstappen, so everyone was hoping for a tight Sprint race. Organizers had to delay the official start due to poor visibility and grip levels.
And when the session kicked off, the safety car was in the lead before the rolling start. With only 11 laps before deciding a winner, most of the action went down in the pitlane. Verstappen chose to pit at the end of lap one, allowing Oscar Piastri to move into the race's lead. We're getting more and more signs that the young Australian has a bright future in F1, and one can only hope he won't lose his drive halfway down the road.
There's no chance he can clinch a World Title this year or the next one, but by 2025 he might have everything he needs to get there. Fernando Alonso lost control of his car on lap three, ending his Sprint stint. Max Verstappen regained control of the race on lap six, going down the straight section after Eau Rouge. A few moments later, there was contact between Hamilton and Perez, and the Stewards awarded a five-second penalty to the British driver for causing the incident. Sergio Perez wasn't as lucky and had to retire from the race with just a few laps before it was all over.
By lap 10, Max Verstappen was already six seconds ahead of Oscar Piastri, and the rookie couldn't find the resources to close that gap. The Flying Dutchman did it again, winning the Sprint Race as a prequel to a potentially perfect race weekend. With McLaren's young driver in P2, it was maybe as surprising to see that Pierre Gasly crossed the finish line in third, two seconds in front of Carlos Sainz and over four seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc.
Lando Norris scored three more points for McLaren, while Hamilton and Russell achieved the same performance but with combined efforts. Esteban Ocon finished the Sprint race in P9, with Daniel Ricciardo breathing down his neck across the finish line. Scoring one point on day two could have meant a lot for the Australian, even more so considering that Perez didn't finish the race. I'll return with more information as soon as the Belgian Grand Prix concludes.
And when the session kicked off, the safety car was in the lead before the rolling start. With only 11 laps before deciding a winner, most of the action went down in the pitlane. Verstappen chose to pit at the end of lap one, allowing Oscar Piastri to move into the race's lead. We're getting more and more signs that the young Australian has a bright future in F1, and one can only hope he won't lose his drive halfway down the road.
There's no chance he can clinch a World Title this year or the next one, but by 2025 he might have everything he needs to get there. Fernando Alonso lost control of his car on lap three, ending his Sprint stint. Max Verstappen regained control of the race on lap six, going down the straight section after Eau Rouge. A few moments later, there was contact between Hamilton and Perez, and the Stewards awarded a five-second penalty to the British driver for causing the incident. Sergio Perez wasn't as lucky and had to retire from the race with just a few laps before it was all over.
By lap 10, Max Verstappen was already six seconds ahead of Oscar Piastri, and the rookie couldn't find the resources to close that gap. The Flying Dutchman did it again, winning the Sprint Race as a prequel to a potentially perfect race weekend. With McLaren's young driver in P2, it was maybe as surprising to see that Pierre Gasly crossed the finish line in third, two seconds in front of Carlos Sainz and over four seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc.
Lando Norris scored three more points for McLaren, while Hamilton and Russell achieved the same performance but with combined efforts. Esteban Ocon finished the Sprint race in P9, with Daniel Ricciardo breathing down his neck across the finish line. Scoring one point on day two could have meant a lot for the Australian, even more so considering that Perez didn't finish the race. I'll return with more information as soon as the Belgian Grand Prix concludes.
Google News