F1 Pickings

Russell made a good getaway from eighth and coming down the hill from La Source he tried to pass the ailing Piastri, the Australian having damaged his car when squeezed between the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz and the inside barrier.Russell headed to Piastri's left, following Lando Norris, but finding the route blocked, he was forced to back off.Fernando Alonso, Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll all went ... Keep reading

Russell made a good getaway from eighth and coming down the hill from La Source he tried to pass the ailing Piastri, the Australian having damaged his car when squeezed between the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz and the inside barrier.Russell headed to Piastri's left, following Lando Norris, but finding the route blocked, he was forced to back off.Fernando Alonso, Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll all went ... Keep reading

After 18 months in charge of the team, Szafnauer completed his final weekend with Alpine at Spa on Sunday evening, following Friday's announcement of his departure.He will be replaced on an interim basis by Bruno Famin, who is also Alpine’s VP of motorsport.After Sunday’s race Szafnauer said an emotional farewell to team members in the garage and motorhome before heading to the airport. His ... Keep reading

The world champion had irrepressibly risen from the sixth place he had occupied on the grid, five places down from topping Friday evening qualifying thanks to his post-practice gearbox change.By lap 17 of 44 last Sunday, Verstappen had passed long-time leader and team-mate Sergio Perez, then pulled out an 8.9s lead by the time the two Red Bulls made their final stops.PRIME: The surprise star of ... Keep reading

The world champion had irrepressibly risen from the sixth place on the grid, having dropped five places due to a gearbox change penalty, and by lap 17 of 44 Verstappen had passed Sergio Perez to pull out an 8.9s lead by the time the two Red Bulls made their final pitstops.PLUS: The surprise star of Verstappen's latest Spa masterclassAfter this, Verstappen unleashed an out-lap one second quicker ... Keep reading

This year's edition of the Belgian Grand Prix yielded yet another Max Verstappen masterclass as the Dutchman waltzes away with the Formula 1 title.Born in Belgium, Verstappen cruised to victory at his second home race to extend his advantage in the championship to a whopping 125 points over Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, having won the last eight races.While battles for the lead were effectively ... Keep reading

This year's edition of the Belgian Grand Prix yielded yet another Max Verstappen masterclass as the Dutchman waltzes away with the Formula 1 title.Born in Belgium, Verstappen cruised to victory at his second home race to extend his advantage in the championship to a whopping 125 points over Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez, having won the last eight races.While battles for the lead were effectively ... Keep reading

A dominant force throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, Agostini won a record 15 grand prix motorcycle world titles – eight of which coming in the premier class, which we now know as MotoGP.With 122 grand prix victories to his credit, Agostini achieved more than most could ever dream of between 1963 and 1977.Between 1967 and 1972, Agostini was frighteningly consistent, winning every race he ... Keep reading

Alonso finished the Spa race in fifth place, beating the Mercedes of George Russell and the surviving McLaren of Lando Norris.The solid result followed huge frustration on Saturday, when the Spaniard qualified only 15th in the shootout after team-mate Lance Stroll brought out a red flag, and then spun off early in the sprint.In the main event he jumped up from ninth to sixth on the first lap ... Keep reading

Everything you need to know about the MSC Cruises Belgian Grand Prix... all the details, stats, pictures and quotes.

Alonso finished the Spa race in fifth place, beating the Mercedes of George Russell and the surviving McLaren of Lando Norris.The solid result followed huge frustration on Saturday, when the Spaniard qualified only 15th in the shootout after team-mate Lance Stroll brought out a red flag, and then spun off early in the sprint.In the main event he jumped up from ninth to sixth on the first lap ... Keep reading

On a day when many drivers suffered tyre issues Leclerc had a strong run to third place behind the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.After two difficult weekends in Britain and Hungary, it was the Italian team’s first podium since the Monegasque driver took second in Austria.Leclerc suggested that there were signs of improved tyre degradation even in races where the team had poor ... Keep reading

After 18 months in charge of the team, Szafnauer completed his final weekend with Alpine at Spa on Sunday evening, following Friday's announcement of his departure.He will be replaced on an interim basis by Bruno Famin, who is also Alpine’s VP of motorsport.After Sunday’s race Szafnauer said an emotional farewell to team members in the garage and motorhome before heading to the airport. His ... Keep reading

Verstappen utterly demolished the competition in Sunday's race at Spa-Francorchamps, beating team-mate Sergio Perez by 22 seconds and putting Red Bull's nearest challenger Charles Leclerc on 33 seconds in his Ferrari.The Dutchman's dominance was such that he soon joked with his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase about making an extra pitstop for the fastest lap to give his crew "some extra pitstop ... Keep reading

The team has gradually introduced a major upgrade package for its MCL60, but drivers and management have sought to play down expectations for recent races. Nevertheless, McLaren scored podiums at the Red Bull Ring, Silverstone and in the Spa sprint race last weekend.However, Lando Norris then classified seventh in the Belgian GP after dropping three places during the opening stint due to struggles ... Keep reading

The team has gradually introduced a major upgrade package for its MCL60, but drivers and management have sought to play down expectations for recent races. Nevertheless, McLaren scored podiums at the Red Bull Ring, Silverstone and in the Spa sprint race last weekend.However, Lando Norris then classified seventh in the Belgian GP after dropping three places during the opening stint due to struggles ... Keep reading

The reigning world champion led a fifth Red Bull 1-2 of the 2023 season in another Belgian GP masterclass, as Sergio Perez had no answer to Verstappen’s pace.Charles Leclerc completed the podium for Ferrari having kept clear of Lewis Hamilton in his Mercedes, while there were plenty intriguing storylines further down the field including a painful race for McLaren.PLUS: The key weakness Perez ... Keep reading

On a day when many drivers suffered tyre issues Leclerc had a strong run to third place behind the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.After two difficult weekends in Britain and Hungary, it was the Italian team’s first podium since the Monegasque driver took second in Austria.Leclerc suggested that there were signs of improved tyre degradation even in races where the team had poor ... Keep reading

The German manufacturer introduced a decent upgrade for its W14 at Spa-Francorchamps last weekend, which included new sidepods and an updated floor.However, the arrival of that coincided with Mercedes battling the return of bouncing on the straights, which proved to be its biggest headache throughout 2022.Wolff says the team needs to find answers quickly as to why the phenomenon it felt it had got ... Keep reading

The German manufacturer introduced a decent upgrade for its W14 at Spa-Francorchamps last weekend, which included new sidepods and an updated floor.However, the arrival of that coincided with Mercedes battling the return of bouncing on the straights, which proved to be its biggest headache throughout 2022.Wolff says the team needs to find answers quickly as to why the phenomenon it felt it had got ... Keep reading

For the second successive race weekend, Max Verstappen's race winner's trophy has been broken in an accident.

Max Verstappen has played down speculation over his heated radio exchanges with his engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, saying that they are only half serious.

Describing his Spa pace as "painful" and "terrible", Lando Norris admits to being amazed that he was able to finish seventh.

Verstappen utterly demolished the competition in Sunday's race at Spa-Francorchamps, beating team-mate Sergio Perez by 22 seconds and putting Red Bull's nearest challenger Charles Leclerc on 33 seconds in his Ferrari.The Dutchman's dominance was such that he soon joked with his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase about making an extra pitstop for the fastest lap to give his crew "some extra pitstop ... Keep reading

Carlos Sainz claims that Oscar Piastri's move at the first corner that was to eliminate both drivers was optimistic.

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.Read Also: F1 Belgian GP: Verstappen beats Perez by 22s after starting from sixth Red Bull F1 trophy destroyed for second ... Keep reading

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Today's post-race press conference with Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc.

After a positive Sprint event on Saturday, today in the race we have had some more difficulties.

We struggled with the car at points today and experienced some bouncing. That was the main limiting factor this weekend.

To score a point here is a good reward for everybody's hard work and persistence. Yuki ran a strong race, making really good use of each of his tyre sets to keep his car in the top 10.

We could never have dreamt of getting to summer break unbeaten, that's never been achieved before.

Red Bull celebrated Max Verstappen's and Sergio Perez's 1-2 victory at Spa-Francorchamps with a standard team photo, followed by champagne celebrations in front of its garage in the pitlane.As team members, including Verstappen and team principal Christian Horner, cleared off to avoid a champagne shower, the team's pitboard fell on top of its constructors' trophy, completely destroying it in the ... Keep reading

Red Bull celebrated Max Verstappen's and Sergio Perez's 1-2 victory at Spa-Francorchamps with a standard team photo, followed by champagne celebrations in front of its garage in the pitlane.As team members, including Verstappen and team principal Christian Horner, cleared off to avoid a champagne shower, the team's pitboard fell on top of its constructors' trophy, completely destroying it in the ... Keep reading

Both drivers and the team executed a solid race today: we were able to recover some positions on track, finishing close to the top ten and, most importantly, matching the pace of our competitors.

There were some good aspects to today, but the race also highlighted some weaknesses of the car, which we are working on.

The 12 points scored today ensure we maintain third place in the Constructors' Championship. This was an important confidence boost for everyone in the team before the summer break.

After their high-profile disagreement in qualifying at Spa, the pair again attracted attention with their discussions at various points of the Dutchman's dominant win on Sunday.Once Verstappen had reached second place behind early leader and team-mate Sergio Perez, Lambiase asked him to "Use your head", to which Verstappen replied: "Are we both [the two drivers] doing it or what?"When Lambiase ... Keep reading

After their high-profile disagreement in qualifying at Spa, plus interest in Verstappen’s relationship with Lambiase growing in 2023 with an absence of a victory battle against Red Bull’s rivals, the pair again attracted attention with their discussions at various points of the Dutchman’s dominant win on Sunday.Once Verstappen had reached second place behind early leader and team-mate Sergio ... Keep reading

Norris finished where he started in seventh but struggled on the medium Pirellis during his opening stint to lose three places before pitting on lap five of 44 for hard tyres.The Briton reckoned this part of the race was "terrible" as it left him trapped between defending through the first sector before then being unable to pass later in the lap.He explained: "It was terrible - it's an honest ... Keep reading

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.Read Also: F1 Belgian GP: Verstappen beats Perez by 22s after starting from sixth 2023 F1 Belgian GP ... Keep reading

Norris finished where he started in seventh but struggled on the medium Pirellis during his opening stint to lose three places before pitting on lap five of 44 for hard tyres.The Briton reckoned this part of the race was "terrible" as it left him trapped between defending through the first sector before then being unable to pass later in the lap.He explained: "It was terrible - it's an honest ... Keep reading

The seven-time world champion took a low-key fourth place in the final F1 race before the summer break, unable to halt Max Verstappen’s charge through the field to victory, but kept clear of rivals behind him while also picking up the bonus point for fastest lap with a late pitstop for fresh tyres.But worryingly for Mercedes, Hamilton reported he suffered with F1 car bouncing throughout the ... Keep reading

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The seven-time world champion took a low-key fourth place in the final F1 race before the summer break, unable to halt Max Verstappen’s charge through the field to victory, but kept clear of rivals behind him while also picking up the bonus point for fastest lap with a late pitstop for fresh tyres.But worryingly for Mercedes, Hamilton reported he suffered with F1 car bouncing throughout the ... Keep reading

The pair came together on the opening lap of Sunday's Spa race, with Sainz, who started fourth, locking up and colliding with Piastri on the inside of Turn 1.The McLaren was pinched against the inside wall, damaging its suspension and ripping the side of the Ferrari’s right sidepod, with Piastri slowing on the run downhill to Eau Rouge and later stopping.Though the stewards took no action over ... Keep reading

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.Read Also: F1 Belgian GP: Verstappen beats Perez by 22s after starting from sixth 2023 F1 Belgian GP ... Keep reading

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.2023 F1 Belgian GP results Cla   Nº   Driver   Car / ... Keep reading

The reigning world champion launched from sixth due to a gearbox penalty, but surged into the lead on lap 15 and ran unchallenged to the chequered flag to score Red Bull's 12th-consecutive win of the season.When the lights went out, polesitter Leclerc swung across Perez’s bows to maintain the lead at La Source, where Carlos Sainz, starting fourth, locked up and then collided with Oscar Piastri ... Keep reading

Result of the MSC Cruises Belgian Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen was in imperious form as he came from sixth on the grid to win the Belgian Grand Prix.

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.Read Also: F1 Belgian GP: Verstappen beats Perez by 22s after starting from sixth 2023 F1 Belgian GP ... Keep reading

When the lights went out, polesitter Leclerc swung across Perez's bows to maintain the lead at La Source, where Carlos Sainz, starting fourth, locked up and then collided with Oscar Piastri running just behind from fifth on the grid on the inside.The McLaren was pinched against the inside wall, damaging its suspension and ripping the side of the Ferrari's right-side sidepod, with Piastri slowing ... Keep reading

Like the rest of the teams, the Woking outfit only had Friday’s FP1 session during which to experiment before the set-up of the cars was locked in as parc ferme took effect for qualifying.With an eye on the predicted wet conditions, McLaren went for a higher level of downforce than its rivals with both cars, a move that paid off in the sprint event when Oscar Piastri briefly led and finished ... Keep reading

With an eye on the predicted wet conditions, McLaren went for a higher level of downforce than its rivals with both cars, a move that paid off in the sprint event, where Oscar Piastri briefly led and finished second, with Norris sixth.Nevertheless, the Englishman says that given more time the team would probably have taken downforce off the car."I think we're just not in the optimal range of ... Keep reading

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff talks about about his father's terminal illness, working with Lewis Hamilton, and more.

All so familiar so far at Spa. Rain, risk, and Red Bull running away with a 2023 Formula 1 race.That's how this season's second sprint race ended, with Max Verstappen in complete control up front, despite the proceeding's early intrigue of McLaren's Oscar Piastri leading the initial laps.Verstappen and his Red Bull team ultimately made the correct choice in not stopping at the end of the five ... Keep reading

A late downpour caused the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix sprint race to be delayed. The field was then led by the safety car for five formation laps ahead of a rolling start.The safety car train helped clear standing water to cut spray and help visibility, but all cars pitted within two laps to fit intermediate tyres since the wet-weather crossover had arrived.As such, drivers reckoned the blue-walled ... Keep reading

A late downpour caused the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix sprint race to be delayed. The field was then led by the safety car for five formation laps ahead of a rolling start.The safety car train helped clear standing water to cut spray and help visibility, but all cars pitted within two laps to fit intermediate tyres since the wet weather crossover had arrived.As such, drivers reckoned the blue-walled ... Keep reading

While the Mexican has never overtaken his two-time defending champion team-mate Max Verstappen in the standings this year, he closed to six points after winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in late April.But his form leading into the summer break has been dogged by a run of five consecutive failures to progress into Q3.This has forced him to fightback in the races although, in the fastest car in ... Keep reading

Since the start of July, Alpine has replaced outspoken CEO Laurent Rossi, who has been moved aside to work on "special projects".Then, on the Friday of the Spa weekend, it was announced that team principal Otmar Szafnauer - at the helm for 18 months - and sporting director Alan Permane - an Enstone veteran of 34 years - will leave following the race. Meanwhile, chief technical director Pat Fry ... Keep reading

All so familiar so far at Spa. Rain, risk, and Red Bull running away with a 2023 Formula 1 race.That's how this season’s second sprint race ended, with Max Verstappen in complete control up front, despite the proceeding’s early intrigue of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri leading the initial laps.Verstappen and his Red Bull team ultimately made the correct choice in not stopping at the end of the ... Keep reading

Hamilton tried to pass the Mexican heading into Stavelot, and they made side-to-side contact, with the left front wheel of the Mercedes hitting the Red Bull’s sidepod.The Mexican was subsequently forced to retire from the race due to bodywork and floor damage, while Hamilton received a 5-second penalty that dropped him from fourth to seventh in the final classification.“It was massive damage ... Keep reading

Heavy showers, which had all but prevented running in Friday's single free practice session, continued to wreak havoc on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, with the start for Saturday afternoon's sprint delayed by 35 minutes.Eventually the race got under way after five formation laps to clear out some of the standing water and try to reduce the spray that limited visibility, a topic that has been put ... Keep reading

Heavy showers, which had all but prevented running in Friday's single free practice session, continued to wreak havoc on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, with the start for Saturday afternoon's sprint delayed by 35 minutes.Eventually the race got underway after five formation laps to clear out some of the standing water and try to reduce the spray that limited visibility, a topic that has been put ... Keep reading

Hamilton tried to pass the Mexican heading into Stavelot, and they made side-to-side contact, with the left front wheel of the Mercedes hitting the Red Bull’s sidepod.The Mexican was subsequently forced to retire from the race due to bodywork and floor damage, while Hamilton received a 5-second penalty that dropped him from fourth to seventh in the final classification.“It was massive damage ... Keep reading

Mercedes had looked on course for a decent result in the sprint shootout session at the Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday after Lewis Hamilton was fastest overall following the first run in SQ3.But his hopes of turning that form into a pole position for the sprint were derailed after he and team-mate George Russell tripped over each other.Hamilton ended up starting his final lap right behind Russell ... Keep reading

Drivers cite the immediate switch to Inters during the Sprint as proof that the current full wets are not fit for purpose.

While the Mexican has never overtaken his two-time defending champion team-mate Max Verstappen in the standings this year, he closed to six points after winning the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in late April.But his form leading into the summer break has been dogged by a run of five consecutive failures to progress into Q3.This has forced him to fight back in the races although, in the fastest car in ... Keep reading

Mercedes had looked on course for a decent result in the sprint shootout session at the Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday after Lewis Hamilton was fastest overall following the first run in SQ3.But his hopes of turning that form into a pole position for the sprint were derailed after he and team-mate George Russell tripped over each other.Hamilton ended up starting his final lap right behind Russell ... Keep reading

5s penalty handed to Lewis Hamilton for causing a collision with Sergio Perez leads to outrage on social media.

If a race is declared wet and is started behind the safety car, drivers are obliged to run Pirelli's blue-walled extreme wet tyres.However, the anomaly is that once conditions become raceable, the wet tyre is regarded as being of little use.In the Spa sprint, there was a rush into the pits for intermediates once the race got underway, with half the grid coming in at the start, and the remainder at ... Keep reading

In rainy conditions all drivers are obliged to use the wet when running behind the safety car ahead of a race start.However, the anomaly is that once conditions become raceable the wet tyre is regarded as being of little use.In the Spa sprint, there was a rush into the pits for intermediates once the race got underway, with half the grid coming in at the start, and the remainder at the end of the ... Keep reading

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc will start the race from pole position, with Red Bull driver Sergio Perez joining him on the front row.Lewis Hamilton, the most successful driver at Spa on the current grid, will line up third for Mercedes.A five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change means runaway championship leader Max Verstappen will take the start from sixth place.When is the F1 Belgian Grand ... Keep reading

Today's post-Sprint press conference with Max Verstapen, Oscar Piastri and Pierre Gasly.

The race started behind the safety car, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri following it into the pitlane to switch his wets for intermediate tyres. That paid off as he took the lead from Verstappen, who pitted at the end of the first racing lap.Verstappen passed Piastri for the lead on lap six, following a further safety car intervention after Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso crashed out.Read ... Keep reading

We come out of today's Sprint with ten points, which is a very strong result for the team.

Drivers say the poor quality of Formula 1's 'extreme' wet tyre is adding complications when starting races in bad visibility.

Starting from first and fourth, we need to make the most of this opportunity.

The Mercedes driver also referenced Ayrton Senna’s famous quote about no longer being a racing driver if you don’t go for a gap.The Turn 15 incident led Perez to retire from the race with bodywork damage and triggered a five-second penalty for Hamilton after the stewards decreed that he was predominantly at fault.That dropped him from fourth place on the road to seventh in the final sprint ... Keep reading

Not a fantastic day but then we just saved whatever was left to be saved.

The two-time world champion lined up only 15th for the shorter Saturday contest as a legacy of not setting a time in Q2 owing to the red flag caused by team-mate Lance Stroll shunting.Starting behind Stroll in 14th, by virtue of not having track position, he was kept out for an extra lap before pitting to swap his starting wet tyres for intermediates in a rain-affected bout.But on lap three of the ... Keep reading

The race started behind the safety car, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri following it into the pitlane to switch his wets for intermediate tyres. That paid off as he took the lead from Verstappen, who pitted at the end of the first racing lap.Verstappen passed Piastri for the lead on lap six, following a further safety car intervention after Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso crashed out.Read ... Keep reading

The two-time world champion lined up only 15th for the shorter Saturday contest as a legacy of not setting a time in Q2 owing to the red flag caused by team-mate Lance Stroll shunting.Starting behind Stroll in 14th, by virtue of not having track position, he was kept out for an extra lap before pitting to swap his starting wet tyres for intermediates in a rain-affected bout.But on lap three of the ... Keep reading

Verstappen topped qualifying from Ferrari driver Leclerc on Friday, but Red Bull's championship leader will start from sixth after fitting a fifth gearbox of the season.But a dominant performance in Saturday’s rain-shortened sprint, which he also started from the front after defeating sprint race adversary Oscar Piastri, means Verstappen remains the odds-on favourite heading into ... Keep reading

Gasly’s opinion centres on the ongoing visibility problem F1 drivers face when running in the wet with the new ground effect generation of cars, which lift huge volumes of spray into the air and push it over a wider area.In the sprint race that Max Verstappen won on Saturday, Gasly ended up third behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri – that pair opting to pit at the end of the formation lap to ... Keep reading

To reduce spray after a late downpour, five formation laps were run behind the safety car ahead of a rolling start.Although drivers reported conditions were clear for intermediate tyres, half the field stayed put for an extra lap on full wets. This was to avoid losing time to a double-stack pitstop and a delayed release in a congested pitlane.Polesitter Verstappen remained on the circuit while ... Keep reading

To reduce spray after a late downpour, five formation laps were run behind the safety car ahead of a rolling start.Although drivers reported conditions were clear for intermediate tyres, half the field stayed put for an extra lap on full wets. This was to avoid losing time to a double-stack pitstop and a delayed release in a congested pit-lane.Polesitter Verstappen remained on circuit while ... Keep reading

Pit stop gamble pays off for Max Verstappen as Oscar Piastri rues safety car intervention.

Result of the MSC Cruises Belgian Grand Prix Sprint.

Max Verstappen passes McLaren's Oscar Piastri to win an incident-packed wet sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix.

The race started behind the safety car, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri following it into the pitlane to switch his wets for intermediate tyres. That paid off as he took the lead from Verstappen, who pitted at the end of the first racing lap.Verstappen passed Piastri for the lead on lap six, following a further safety car intervention after Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso crashed out.Read ... Keep reading

The race started behind the safety car, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri following it into the pitlane to switch his wets for intermediate tyres. That paid off as he took the lead from Verstappen, who pitted at the end of the first racing lap.Verstappen passed Piastri for the lead on lap six, following a further safety car intervention after Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso crashed out.2023 F1 ... Keep reading

After spots of rain had fallen sporadically as the cars initially lined up on the grid 20 minutes ahead of the scheduled start time – already pushed back by 35 minutes thanks to the similar delay to the start of sprint shootout qualifying – it began coming down heavily 10 minutes later. This led the FIA to officially delay the start before it announced the formation lap would begin at 17.12 ... Keep reading

Alain Prost says he hopes the major changes at Alpine will be an "electroshock" to a team suffering from too much corporate interference.

Four-time world champion, Alain Prost has spoken of his sadness and distress at the ongoing crisis at Alpine.

This weekend's Belgian Grand Prix marks a year since Audi formally announced its 2026 F1 entry initially via a works powertrain programme before confirming a Sauber buyout.But Audi has since moved to replace CEO Markus Duesmann, who presided over the entry.There is also widespread speculation that the manufacturer's engine programme is running months behind schedule. Audi did announce in June that ... Keep reading

This weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix marks a year since Audi formally announced its 2026 F1 entry initially via a works powertrain programme before confirming a Sauber buyout.But Audi has since moved to replace CEO Markus Duesmann, who presided over the entry.There is also widespread speculation that the manufacturer’s engine programme is running months behind schedule. Audi did announce in June ... Keep reading

It obliged Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll to switch from intermediates to medium rather than soft tyres on a drying track, with the Canadian subsequently crashing heavily on his final lap.Under sprint shootout rules, drivers are obliged to use medium tyres in SQ1 and SQ2, then softs in SQ3.However the rules also state that if the track is declared wet by the FIA those rules won’t apply, and ... Keep reading

It obliged Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll to switch from intermediates to medium rather than soft tyres on a drying track, with the Canadian subsequently crashing heavily on his final lap.Under sprint shootout rules, drivers are obliged to use medium tyres in SQ1 and SQ2, then softs in SQ3.However the rules also state that if the track is declared wet by the FIA those rules won’t apply, and ... Keep reading

On a drying Spa-Francorchamps circuit timing the final flyer to perfection was of the essence, with Alpine's Pierre Gasly the first of four drivers to claim provisional pole until Red Bull's Max Verstappen pipped McLaren prodigy Oscar Piastri to the top of the timesheets.Mercedes appeared to have misjudged its drivers' positioning to start the final lap, with Russell hindering Hamilton after ... Keep reading

On a drying Spa-Francorchamps circuit, timing the final flyer to perfection was of the essence, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen pipping McLaren prodigy Oscar Piastri to the top of the timesheets.Mercedes appeared to have misjudged its drivers' positioning to start the final lap, with Russell hindering Hamilton after locking up his tyres into Turn 1.Hamilton then passed Russell on the Kemmel ... Keep reading

On a weekend when the French F1 outfit announced the exit of team principal Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane as part of a shake-up, Prost has voiced his dismay at what has become of the squad.  The Frenchman, who was an advisor and non-executive director for the Renault/Alpine squad from 2015 until 2022, thinks that the French sportscar maker has made a critical error in ... Keep reading

The two Ferrari drivers ended up third and fourth with Carlos Sainz ahead, while Charles Leclerc made a small error on his final Q3 lap that proved costly in the fight for pole.The session was delayed by 35 minutes due to rain dousing the Spa track yet again this weekend, with the precipitation falling particularly hard in the hour ahead of the shootout qualifying.In Q3, Lewis Hamilton led after ... Keep reading

On a weekend when the French F1 outfit announced the exit of team principal Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane as part of a shake-up, Prost has voiced his dismay at what has become of the squad.  The Frenchman, who was an advisor and non-executive director for the Renault/Alpine squad from 2015 until 2022, thinks that the French sportscar maker has made a critical error in ... Keep reading

The two Ferrari drivers ended up third and fourth with Carlos Sainz ahead, while Charles Leclerc made a small error on his final Q3 lap that proved costly in the fight for pole.The shortened 12-minute Q1, 10-minute Q2, eight-minute Q3, was delayed by 35 minutes due to heavy rainfall prior to the original start time.When the drivers did get going they generally ran throughout each segment, other ... Keep reading

Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri and Carlos Sainz are covered by just 0.025s in Sprint Shootout.

Max Verstappen pips McLaren's Oscar Piastri to pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix sprint race by just 0.011 seconds.

With its factory lagging behind that of rivals, Williams has been the main voice in a push to allow teams extra CapEx [capital expenditure] headroom in order to bring their facilities up to the standard of pacesetters Red Bull and Mercedes.However, others including Alpine, McLaren, Alfa Romeo and AlphaTauri are also keen to have an extra opportunity to invest to a greater or lesser ... Keep reading

Heavy rains have been disrupting the Spa-Francorchamps event all weekend, with Friday qualifying for tomorrow's grand prix delayed by 10 minutes.While conditions were expected to get slightly more benign from Saturday onwards, fresh showers hit the Ardennes loop ahead of Saturday's sprint shootout, which sets the grid for the afternoon sprint race.Thirteen minutes before the sprint shootout, which ... Keep reading

Heavy rains have been disrupting the Spa-Francorchamps event all weekend, with Friday qualifying for tomorrow's grand prix delayed by 10 minutes.While conditions were expected to get slightly more benign from Saturday onwards, fresh showers hit the Ardennes loop ahead of Saturday's sprint shootout, which sets the grid for the afternoon sprint race.Thirteen minutes before the sprint shootout, which ... Keep reading

Leclerc, one of F1’s star qualifiers, has had several disappointing results against the clock in 2023, as he has struggled to keep to the minimalistic approach required in mixed conditions to reduce mistakes and keep the sensitive Pirelli tyres in the correct state with his aggressive driving style. In addition to his Barcelona exit when that qualifying session had followed a wet FP3 and he ... Keep reading

Leclerc, one of F1’s star qualifiers, has had several disappointing results against the clock in 2023, as he has struggled to keep to the minimalistic approach required in mixed conditions to reduce mistakes and keep the sensitive Pirelli tyres in the correct state with his aggressive driving style. In addition to his Barcelona exit when that qualifying session had followed a wet FP3 and he ... Keep reading

With its factory lagging behind that of rivals Williams has been the main voice in a push to allow teams extra CapEx [capital expenditure] headroom in order to bring their facilities up to the standard of pacesetters Red Bull and Mercedes.However, others including Alpine, McLaren, Alfa and AlphaTauri are also keen to have an extra opportunity to invest to a greater or lesser extent.Friday’s F1 ... Keep reading

After years where the accepted wisdom in F1 is that the route to success is a well-defined vision, stability, investment, and realism, Alpine going separate ways with two of its most senior figures seems a step in the opposite direction. It also comes against the backdrop of the team appearing to lurch from one decision to the next without any kind of overall strategy. Just three weeks ago ... Keep reading

After years where the accepted wisdom in F1 is that the route to success is a well-defined vision, stability, investment, and realism, Alpine going separate ways with two of its most senior figures seems a step in the opposite direction. It also comes against the backdrop of the team appearing to lurch from one decision to the next without any kind of overall strategy. Just three weeks ago ... Keep reading

"It's all good," insists Max Verstappen following heated exchange with his engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase during qualifying.

Williams has lured Alpine's Pat Fry to Grove, with his appointment being confirmed minutes after the French squad revealed team principal Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane will leave after this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.These departures follow that of the outspoken Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi, who ultimately presided over the F1 team, being moved aside to work on “special ... Keep reading

Strategy is a major talking point of an F1 grand prix weekend, with teams formulating initial plans well in advance of arriving at the track.Strategy is ultimately dictated by tyre life, with each driver limited to 13 sets of dry rubber to last the three days. This number is made up of eight sets of the designated soft compound, three of the medium, and two of the hard.Many factors are taken into ... Keep reading

Roger Williamson was going to be a world champion. The way he handled a Formula 3 GRD 372 in 1972 and an F2 March-BMW 732 in '73 left no doubt, and a test for BRM at Silverstone in February in the latter year merely confirmed it. He was... fast. But there was more to him than that; he had an unquenchable determination, and he never gave up.Born in Leicester in February 1948, the 25-year-old car ... Keep reading

The grid for the Belgian GP sprint race will be decided by a separate qualifying shootout on Saturday morning.What time does the Sprint race for the Belgian Grand Prix start?The Sprint for the Belgian GP will begin at 4:30pm local time (+2 GMT) at Spa. The race will run to a distance of 15 laps or roughly 100km. Date: Saturday, July 29, 2023 Start time: 14:30 GMT / 15:30 BST / 16:30 CEST / ... Keep reading

Williams has lured Alpine's Pat Fry to Grove. His appointment was confirmed minutes after the French squad revealed team principal Otmar Szafnauer and sporting director Alan Permane will leave after this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.These departures follow that of the outspoken Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi, who ultimately presided over the F1 team, being moved aside to work on “special ... Keep reading

Today's post-qualifying press conference with Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez.

Today's press conference with Bruno Famin, Mike Krack, Alessandro Alunni Bravi and Christian Horner.

In Q1, Hamilton was seen moving off the track through a wet Eau Rouge-Raidillon complex on the driver's left and rejoined the track directly ahead of team-mate George Russell, when both Mercedes drivers were on their out-laps. Russell had to take avoiding action, while behind them the Alfa Romeo of Valtteri Bottas was also hindered. The incident was reported to the stewards, who ... Keep reading

Getting both cars into the top 10 is a decent outcome from a challenging day.

Tomorrow, we have a chance to get points with the Sprint Race, so we'll certainly target a good result.

It is frustrating not to have qualified for Q2 as we could have done well as the track became ready for the slicks.

Norris went off the track at Stavelot in the first half of a wet Q1, skating through the gravel as his race engineer suggested the Briton had sustained front wing damage.Closer inspection in the garage revealed Norris had significantly damaged his floor, which left him compromised for the rest of the mixed-weather session.Norris ended up making it into Q3 but had to settle for seventh behind ... Keep reading

The wet opening practice session at Spa-Francorchamps left teams blind about choosing their best set-ups for the Belgian weekend – especially with parc ferme conditions kicking in from the start of Friday afternoon’s qualifying session.Lewis Hamilton admitted it was a complete guessing game about how best to approach things, with Mercedes in the end covering its bases and opting for a lower ... Keep reading

Norris went off the track at Stavelot in the first half of a wet Q1, skating through the gravel as his race engineer suggested the Briton had sustained front wing damage.Closer inspection in the garage revealed Norris had significantly damaged his floor, which left him compromised for the rest of the mixed-weather session.Norris ended up making it into Q3 but had to settle for seventh behind ... Keep reading