On Saturday, Max Verstappen impressively claimed victory in the Belgian GP sprint race. The Dutchman skillfully held off the McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris in an exciting battle. Here’s a quick recap of the sprint race at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit!
ROUND 1/15: In sunny conditions, Verstappen beautifully overtakes polesitter Piastri in the first round of the sprint race, thanks to a slipstream. Piastri’s McLaren teammate Norris also loses a place to Charles Leclerc. DRS should give Piastri a new chance against Verstappen, but the latter has good speed on the straight – could this lead the Dutchman to victory in Belgium?
ROUND 2/15: The entire field is on the medium tire, except for Franco Colapinto, who started from the pits. His Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly seemed unable to start due to a water leak, but has started the race two laps behind: a way to collect some extra data.
ROUND 4/15: Verstappen keeps Piastri a few tenths behind, but Leclerc can’t do the same with Norris. The latter benefits from the DRS and Norris is back in third place. Meanwhile, Haas drivers Ocon and Bearman are holding up well in the sub-top: fifth and seventh, just like Sainz in sixth place.
ROUND 7/15: A beautiful cat-and-mouse game has unfolded in this sprint race between Verstappen and Piastri. The reigning four-time world champion has the advantage of speed on the straights and knows he has nothing to lose. Or at least less than Piastri, the leader in the World Championship. Although Piastri has DRS, he is ahead of title rival Norris and will not want to risk a crash or touch with Verstappen.
ROUND 10/15: The tension at the front intensifies! Lando Norris has also joined the battle for victory. Verstappen now has two orange cars in his mirrors, with the McLaren duo just a few tenths behind him. With only five rounds to go, a win would be a remarkable achievement for the world champion.
Verstappen Fights Back
ROUND 12/15: Piastri makes a brief attempt, but Verstappen easily counters, preventing a real attack. Meanwhile, Norris is waiting in the wings, but how much risk are the leading trio willing to take in relation to each other and the points up for grabs? One would assume, not much.
ROUND 15/15: The checkered flag is out! Verstappen wins the sprint race thanks to a fantastic overtaking move in the first round and excellent management and tight defense in the fourteen rounds that followed. Piastri settles for P2, earning one more point than title rival Norris. The gap between the McLaren drivers is now nine points. In the sub-top, there are no changes: behind Charles Leclerc (P4), Esteban Ocon (fifth), Carlos Sainz Jr (sixth), Bearman (seventh), and Hadjar (eighth) finish in the points.
The drivers and teams can now focus on qualifying for Sunday’s Grand Prix. The qualification starts at 14:00 UTC on Saturday at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
