Max Verstappen Wins Belgian Sprint Race In First Grand Prix Since Horner’s Red Bull Exit

Max Verstappen won nan sprint title astatine nan Belgian Grand Prix pinch a steely and opportunistic drive, to grind retired triumph against nan odds. Having taken nan lead connected nan opening thigh he hit nan McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris into 2nd and third, pinch Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc successful fourth. His teammate Lewis Hamilton could negociate only 15th having started successful 18th.

It was thing of different processional sprint complete nan 15 laps but nan 2nd spot intends Piastri has extended his title lead complete Norris from 8 to 9 points. For Red Bull successful their first competitory convention without nan precocious dismissed squad main Christian Horner and nan opening gathering pinch Laurent Mekies successful charge, it was conscionable nan commencement they needed.

They had brought upgrades to this race, including a revised beforehand helping and had taken a chance connected their setup to maximise apical speed, successful an effort to flooded nan McLaren gait advantage but it had not appeared to salary disconnected successful qualifying wherever Verstappen was a afloat half a 2nd disconnected Piastri.

However successful nan race, Verstappen was decisive and audacious, taking his 1 chance pinch objective authority. With nan McLaren taking clip to travel up to velocity he pounced and while Piastri was quicker done nan twisty portion of nan 2nd sector, he did not person capable to flooded Verstappen’s way position advantage. It is Verstappen’s 12th sprint triumph and his 2nd successful Belgium, he remains by immoderate region nan astir successful driver successful nan short format.

Piastri held his led connected nan short dash into La Source but Verstappen took a slipstream down nan McLaren connected nan Kemmel consecutive and took nan lead into Les Combes, nan Red Bull moving a skinny helping for straight-line velocity and making nan astir of it successful nan speedy first sector.

Piastri harried Verstappen looking for a measurement done but nan Dutchman utilized his velocity advantage to enactment conscionable retired of scope successful nan opening portion of nan thigh and nan Australian could not rather span nan gap. The brace circled chemoreceptor to tail for thigh aft lap, arsenic Piastri looked for immoderate flimsy opening but Verstappen was, arsenic ever, almost inch-perfect.

Norris caught nan brace pinch 10 laps gone yet he excessively could do thing but connected thigh 11 Verstappen went wide astatine nan Bus Stop and Piastri closed. The Dutchman told his squad he was having issues pinch his brakes but conscionable managed to cling connected to nan beforehand and it was capable to spot him done to nan flag.

Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman were 5th and seventh for Haas, Carlos Sainz sixth for Williams and Isack Hadjar eighth for Racing Bulls.