At the Belgian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen triumphed over Sergio Perez with a commanding 22-second lead, despite an initial starting position of sixth on the grid.
The race commenced with polesitter Charles Leclerc maintaining his lead at La Source, while Carlos Sainz, in fourth position, collided with Oscar Piastri, who was close behind him. This resulted in damage to both vehicles, with Piastri eventually having to quit the race during the first lap.
Perez swiftly overtook Leclerc to secure the lead, capitalizing on the superior straight-line speed of his RB19. Meanwhile, Verstappen advanced to the fourth position by the end of the first lap, remaining behind Lewis Hamilton and Leclerc during the initial phase of the race.
Hamilton’s lost DRS advantage on the sixth lap provided Verstappen the opportunity to secure the third position. He then sought to close the gap with Leclerc, who was trailing Perez by approximately two to three seconds.
Verstappen then strategically overtook Leclerc on lap nine and gradually narrowed Perez’s lead. Despite a longer pit stop for Perez due to issues with his left-rear wheel, Verstappen remained behind, even after switching from soft to medium tires.
Verstappen eventually overtook Perez on the Kemmel straight, taking the lead for the first time. He then extended his lead to almost four seconds before the rain began to fall on the 20th lap. Despite nearly losing control at Eau Rouge, Verstappen maintained his momentum and increased his lead over Perez.
The race continued with Verstappen extending his lead even further, finally finishing with a commanding victory margin of 22.3 seconds over Perez, who secured the second spot 9.9 seconds ahead of Leclerc.
Despite pitting to switch back to medium tires with only two laps remaining, Hamilton could not secure a podium position, finishing fourth. However, he did set the fastest lap on the final tour, beating Verstappen’s best lap time.
Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso finished fifth, followed by George Russell in sixth. The latter showed impressive performance, rising from his initial eighth-place start. Lando Norris finished seventh, while Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll, and Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the top ten.
Carlos Sainz, who had to retire due to the damage sustained in his early collision, and Oscar Piastri, who had to stop due to the damage from the first lap, were the only retirements in this race.
Final Positions:
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +22.305s
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +32.259s
- Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +49.671s
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +56.184s
- George Russell (Mercedes) +1’03.101s
- Lando Norris (McLaren) +1’13.719s
- Esteban Ocon (Alpine) +1’14.719s
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) +1’19.340s
- Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) +1’20.221s
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Belgian Grand Prix Victory
Who won the Belgian Grand Prix?
Max Verstappen won the Belgian Grand Prix.
What was the lead that Max Verstappen had over Sergio Perez in the Belgian Grand Prix?
Max Verstappen had a lead of 22 seconds over Sergio Perez in the Belgian Grand Prix.
From what position did Max Verstappen start the Belgian Grand Prix?
Max Verstappen started the Belgian Grand Prix from sixth position.
Who set the fastest lap in the Belgian Grand Prix?
Lewis Hamilton set the fastest lap in the Belgian Grand Prix.
Who were the drivers that had to retire in the Belgian Grand Prix?
Carlos Sainz and Oscar Piastri were the drivers who had to retire in the Belgian Grand Prix.
More about Belgian Grand Prix Victory
- Max Verstappen Career Highlights
- Belgian Grand Prix Race Results
- Sergio Perez Profile
- Lewis Hamilton Fastest Laps
- Overview of the F1 2023 season
5 comments
i can’t believe Hammy got the fastest lap after all! those last two laps were insane.. Mercedes really knows how to make it interesting. great race!
Damn Sainz and Piastri both had to retire thats tough, hope they bounce back in the next one.
Red Bull’s got the edge this season, no doubts. Verstappen and Perez, both in the top! But don’t write off lewis yet. Man’s a legend.
Wow, what a race! verstappen really showed his class. he’s the king of comebacks. Perez did great too, but max was just unbeatable today!
That was a close call for Max at Eau Rouge. Could’ve been game over but he kept his cool. Kudos to him.