Fabulous Verstappen at the Belgian GP: he starts 14th and wins ahead of Perez

Comeback to be framed. Sainz third and Lecler sixth Sunday is back on track again: we run in Zandvoort

francorchamps (Belgio)

Max Verstappen wins the Belgian GP with an amazing comeback: the Dutch Red Bull, who started 14th, was already in the lead after 12 laps and won ahead of team mate Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari. Sixth place for Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari due to a penalty in the final.

Verstappen once again gave a show of strength, further stretching the standings: now the Dutchman has 284 points, 191 Perez and 186 Leclerc. He almost looked like a Verstappen alien. Starting from an unusual seventh row after a penalty for an engine change, the Dutchman crushed the competition by bringing Red Bull back to the top of the standings, to its usual place. In front of his audience, as is often the case in Europe, the Dutch born in Belgium of a Belgian mother had a lot to do to take his third consecutive victory, his ninth success of the season and the 29th of his career. He and Red Bull have once again confirmed their enormous potential in this world championship. The defending champion now has a seemingly insurmountable 93-point lead over his first rival, teammate Sergio Pérez, as Charles Leclerc pulls away. The Monegasque started behind Verstappen in 15th place, penalized for the same reasons.

When the traffic lights go out two laps full of action start: Perez starts very badly and is seen by Alonso, Hamilton and Russell, with the Spaniard and the British coming into contact: the Mercedes crashes violently on the asphalt and is damaged, while Spaniard must widen, and all this favors the return of Perez, who returns second taking advantage of the chaos in front of him. A lot of action also behind, with Verstappen and Leclerc then the safety car on the second lap due to the contact between Latifi and Bottas. At the restart, Verstappen takes the chair, who in succession passes Albon, Ricciardo, Vettel, Alonso and Russell to take third position behind Sainz and Perez, even in the eighth lap. Leclerc also makes up some positions. From lap 12 the Dutchman takes command of the race. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), who started from pole position, stopped in the pits on lap 12. The Spaniard then took control when Verstappen also stopped to change tires, three laps later. But he couldn’t help but delude himself in front of the frantic pace of the Dutchman, once again first on lap 18. A grand prix to forget instead for Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver collided with Fernando Alonso (Alpine) on the first lap and was forced to retire. F1 moves to the Netherlands next week. And it is an understatement to say that the horizon is clear for Verstappen, who is called to continue his race also in the home grand prix. In Zandvoort, a party is expected, as it was last year. –