2023 Belgian Grand Prix Takeaways
Another victory for Red Bull and Verstappen further cements his race to a third World Championship title. Beyond that, an intriguing race happened at Spa-Francorchamps over the weekend. While the event did not offer the mid-race drama that usually comes when rain flogs the track, a good number of intriguing battles played out across the grid. Here are the top 2023 Belgian Grand Prix storylines for motorsport fans and bettors.
Key Takeaways from the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix
Who goes into summer break with a smile on their face? ☀️
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 31, 2023
And, who will be after a much-needed reset?
Let's dive into our winners and losers from Spa! #BelgianGP #F1 https://t.co/1ojJgI8wYA
Red Bull Sovereignty
The Max Verstappen freight train is unstoppable. It took him 17 laps, but the defending champion eventually made his way to P1. He was so far ahead of the competition that he jokingly said he can do an extra pis stop to set the fastest lap. As the Belgian-Dutch driver is set to break Red Bull’s record of nine consecutive wins in a season, eyes turn to whether they can win the remaining races on the calendar.
Meanwhile, teammate Sergio Perez had no answer. He did have a solid opening lap and took the lead while keeping Verstappen behind him before the first batch of pit stops arrived. As soon as his car was on the mediums, Checo couldn’t keep up with Max’s pace a few laps after pitting. Nevertheless, he did enough to keep Leclerc at bay while his teammate finished over 20 seconds ahead. He may have returned to the podium for the first time since the Miami Grand Prix, but the gap is just too big to ignore.
Ferrari Parallels
Claiming the final podium spot in Belgium was Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque finished over half a minute beyond Verstappen. He also kept seven-time Lewis Hamilton behind him despite the Englishman breathing down his neck for most of the race. This was a successful day for the 25-year-old overall. He couldn’t keep the fight going with Perez since the Red Bull driver snatched the lead from him on the opening lap but he settled down well and performed proper tire management on his way to a third podium in 2023.
The other half of the Scuderia failed to finish the race. Sainz locked up in the first few seconds of the race and spewed across the track in the braking area. It looked like a disaster before he pinned Oscar Piastri in the right-hander. It was a shame given how the McLaren driver looked all weekend only for Sainz to take him out after poor judgment. Carlos eventually retired as his battered car fell in last place and it looked like a waste of engine mileage.
Yuki Delivers
Yuki Tsunoda looked on pace to improve his season-best finish. Even though he stayed in P10, scoring his first points since April is something to celebrate in the AlphaTauri paddock. Yukit’s feisty drive made up for a poor Saturday performance. But, he beat new teammate and former Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo in the more important Friday qualifying session.
The Japanese driver set him up for a good day and looked particularly solid despite being overtaken by Alex Albon out of the pits. Tsunoda found enough grip to turn things around and immediately showed the AT04’s improvements. The race did pull away from him in the end, and the one point is not likely to make a massive difference in the Driver Standings. Nevertheless, it was a positive result for both team and driver, especially coming into the summer break.
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