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Formula 1 Belgian GP

F1 race results: Max Verstappen wins Belgian GP

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen won the Belgian Grand Prix, the 13th round of the 2023 Formula 1 World Championship, from sixth on the grid at Spa-Francorchamps.

Charles Bradley

Charles Bradley

Edited: Jul 30, 2023, 8:52 PM

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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-23, Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB19, Carlos Sainz, Ferrari SF-23, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W14, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL60, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19, the rest of the field at the start

Despite starting from the third row, due to a grid penalty for a new gearbox, Verstappen worked his way to the front by lap 16 – taking the lead from team-mate Sergio Perez (Red Bull), who’d led since passing poleman Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) on the opening lap.

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2023 F1 Belgian GP results

Pos Driver Chassis Engine Gap 1 HOL Max Verstappen Red Bull Red Bull   2 MEX Sergio Perez Red Bull Red Bull 22.305 3 MON Charles Leclerc Ferrari Ferrari 32.259 4 GBR Lewis Hamilton Mercedes Mercedes 49.671 5 ESP Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Mercedes 56.184 6 GBR George Russell Mercedes Mercedes 1'03.101 7 GBR Lando Norris McLaren Mercedes 1'13.719 8 FRA Esteban Ocon Alpine Renault 1'14.719 9 CAN Lance Stroll Aston Martin Mercedes 1'19.340 10 JPN Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri Red Bull 1'20.221 11 FRA Pierre Gasly Alpine Renault 1'23.084 12 FIN Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo Ferrari 1'25.191 13 CHN Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo Ferrari 1'35.441 14 THA Alexander Albon Williams Mercedes 1'36.184 15 DEN Kevin Magnussen Haas Ferrari 1'41.754 16 AUS Daniel Ricciardo AlphaTauri Red Bull 1'43.071 17 USA Logan Sargeant Williams Mercedes 1'44.476 18 GER Nicolas Hulkenberg Haas Ferrari 1'50.450   ESP Carlos Sainz Ferrari Ferrari     AUS Oscar Piastri McLaren Mercedes  

How the 2023 F1 Belgian GP unfolded

Leclerc held his pole position advantage on the run to Turn 1 to lead from Perez and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes). Behind them, Oscar Piastri damaged his McLaren at the opening corner against Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari and the wall on the inside of the La Source hairpin and was forced out on the opening lap.

Perez soon blasted past Leclerc for the lead on the Kemmel Straight. From sixth, Verstappen quickly vaulted to fourth after the Sainz/Piastri clash.

Perez scampered clear by 3s, as Verstappen initially got caught in a DRS train behind Leclerc and Hamilton. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) passed a hobbled Sainz – who had a hole in his sidepod – at Les Combes on lap four, and the Ferrari then tumbled down the order and he retired just after half distance.

Verstappen passed Hamilton down the inside at Les Combes on lap six and drove around the outside of Leclerc three tours later, putting him up to second inside the first quarter of the race.

Hamilton was the first of the leaders to stop on lap 14, before leader Perez and Leclerc stopped a lap later and Verstappen a tour after that.

Verstappen carved into Perez’s lead and caught him by lap 16, DRS-ing past him on the following tour to hit the front well before half distance.

Further back, George Russell (Mercedes) passed Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) for sixth on lap 17, Stroll losing further spots to Pierre Gasly (Alpine) and Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) before pitting for fresh softs. Tsunoda then overtook Gasly.

Light rain began to fall from lap 18, Verstappen almost losing control of his car just after Eau Rouge as it began to intensify. But it proved to be a passing shower, so the intermediate tyres remained in the garages.

Hamilton pitted for softs with 16 laps to go, causing Leclerc to react a tour later – but Lewis was hindered in his undercut attempt by having to pass Alonso.

The Red Bulls rattled off their final pitstops without incident, Verstappen rejoining with a 9s advantage, which he extended to 22s at the finish.

Behind Perez, Leclerc held off Hamilton’s challenge, ahead of Alonso, Russell and Norris. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) passed Tsunoda for ninth with a smart move at Les Combes with five laps to go and then got Stroll at the same place for eighth two laps later.

Hamilton pitted for new medium tyres near the end, and snatched fastest lap from Verstappen on the final lap.

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2023 F1 Belgian GP fastest laps

Cla Nº Driver  Car / Engine   Time   Delay   Kp/h  1  44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1'47.305   234.978 2  1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1'48.922 1.617 231.490 3  23 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1'49.841 2.536 229.553 4  27 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1'49.907 2.602 229.415 5  24 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 1'50.188 2.883 228.830 6  11 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1'50.308 3.003 228.581 7  16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1'50.436 3.131 228.316 8  31 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1'50.439 3.134 228.310 9  2 Logan Sargeant Williams/Mercedes 1'50.486 3.181 228.213 10  77 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo/Ferrari 1'50.515 3.210 228.153 11  63 George Russell Mercedes 1'50.603 3.298 227.972 12  10 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1'50.911 3.606 227.339 13  14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1'50.938 3.633 227.283 14  20 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 1'50.993 3.688 227.171 15  3 Daniel Ricciardo AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT 1'50.994 3.689 227.169 16  18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1'51.297 3.992 226.550 17  22 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri/Honda RBPT 1'51.394 4.089 226.353 18  4 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1'51.682 4.377 225.769 19  55 Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari 1'53.138 5.833 222.864

2023 F1 Belgian GP fastest lap evolution

Cla   Nº   Driver   Car / Engine   Time   Evol   Lap  1  11  Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1'52.166   2 2  11  Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1'52.153 0.013 3 3  1  Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1'52.130 0.023 6 4  20  Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 1'51.534 0.596 7 5  44  Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1'51.523 0.011 14 6  11  Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1'51.416 0.107 16 7  1  Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1'50.696 0.720 16 8  1  Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1'50.108 0.588 17 9  27  Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1'49.907 0.201 26 10  1  Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1'48.922 0.985 32 11  44  Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1'47.305 1.617 44

2023 F1 Belgian GP laps led

Seq.   Nº   Driver   Car / Engine   Laps  1 11  Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1 - 12 2 1  Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 13 - 14 3 11  Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 15 - 16 4 1  Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 17 - 44

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