Rain delays that sporadically disrupted the setup of cars on the grid 20 minutes before the planned start of the race eventually led to a downpour. Consequently, the race commenced at 17:35 under the watch of the safety car, dictating the use of full wet tyres for all cars.
The field was led for five rounds of formation, increased from the originally scheduled four, in an effort to disperse more water at reduced speed. As a result, when the race eventually kicked off, the number of laps was reduced from 15 to 11. Notably, numerous drivers including Verstappen, who was the polesitter, had already suggested switching to intermediate tyres during the early formation laps.
The moment the safety car retired, numerous drivers decided to pit, including Piastri who was positioned close behind Verstappen. Along with Piastri, other racers like Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly, and Lewis Hamilton also made a final formation lap pitstop. The reshuffling led to Piastri taking the lead, with other teams holding their cars as pitstops occurred around them.
Verstappen, Leclerc, and Norris also decided to pit after the first lap, causing a bit of delay. When Verstappen returned from the pit, Piastri had already surged ahead with an early 1.5s lead in the second lap. Verstappen managed to close the gap by half in the next lap, but a safety car pause followed due to Alonso’s spin-off.
The race resumed on lap six, and Verstappen overtook Piastri, quickly gaining a substantial lead. Verstappen claimed an effortless victory with a final margin of 6.6 seconds over Piastri.
Gasly, Perez, and Hamilton followed the lead under the safety car after their final formation lap pitstops, with Sainz tailing them. A chaotic start to lap seven saw Hamilton surpass Perez, only to receive a five-second penalty for causing a collision.
With Hamilton unable to overtake Gasly and the reduced sprint offering little room for maneuver, Hamilton fell back to seventh place, behind Sainz, Leclerc, and Norris by the end of the race.
The final point was snatched by George Russell on lap 10 when he managed to pull ahead of Daniel Ricciardo, despite being closely pursued by Esteban Ocon after the restart.
Final Positions:
- Max Verstappen – Red Bull
- Oscar Piastri – McLaren – 6.677s gap
- Pierre Gasly – Alpine – 10.733s gap
- Carlos Sainz – Ferrari – 12.648s gap
- Charles Leclerc – Ferrari – 15.016s gap
- Lando Norris – McLaren – 16.052s gap
- Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes – 16.757s gap
- George Russell – Mercedes – 16.822s gap
- Esteban Ocon – Alpine – 22.410s gap
- Daniel Ricciardo – AlphaTauri – 22.806s gap
Others placed as follows.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Belgian GP Sprint Race Victory
Who won the Belgian GP sprint race?
Max Verstappen emerged as the winner of the Belgian GP sprint race.
Who came in second and third in the Belgian GP sprint race?
Oscar Piastri secured the second place, while Pierre Gasly claimed the third spot in the Belgian GP sprint race.
Why did the race start behind a safety car?
Due to heavy rain, the race started behind a safety car to ensure the safety of the drivers.
What caused the reduction in the number of laps from 15 to 11?
The reduction in laps was a consequence of the five formation laps led at reduced speed to disperse more water from the track due to rain.
Why was Lewis Hamilton penalized?
Lewis Hamilton was given a five-second penalty for causing a collision with Sergio Perez. As a result, he fell to seventh place by the end of the race.
Who managed to snatch the final point in the race?
George Russell managed to snatch the final point on lap 10 when he outperformed Daniel Ricciardo.
More about Belgian GP Sprint Race Victory
- Formula 1 Official Website
- Max Verstappen’s Career Highlights
- Belgian Grand Prix
- Lewis Hamilton Penalty Details
- George Russell’s Performance
8 comments
classic belgian gp.. unpredictable weather always brings some drama!
Yeahhh, Max rules again! Feel bad for Hamilton though, that penalty was harsh.
Didn’t see that coming from Piastri, impressive performance from the youngster. watch out for him in the future!
wet races are the best. unpredictable and thrilling! Kudos to all drivers for managing it well.
safety car did its job today… kept our drivers safe in that weather.
Can we give a shoutout to Gasly too? Made it to the top three! Awesome job.
Wow, what a race!! didn’t expect verstappen to take the lead like that, but well done!
And they said verstappen couldn’t handle the rain… look at him now! way to go Max!