US Edition
Lewis Hamilton hits out at five-second penalty after Max Verstappen wins sprint race at Spa
By Tom Cary, Senior Sports Correspondent at Spa- Francorchamps
Lewis Hamilton has criticised stewards in Belgium for slapping him with a five-second penalty following a collision with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez in Saturday’s rain-affected sprint race, dropping him from fourth to seventh. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff agreed with his driver that it was “absolutely a racing incident” adding “this is a sprint race — we want to see them racing”.
Hamilton tagged Perez as they jostled for position at Stavelot on lap six of the 11-lap race at Spa, which was preceded by five laps behind a safety car as race organisers used the cars to try to clear spray from the track following a huge deluge that delayed the start.
The collision took a sizeable chunk out of the Red Bull’s sidepod, eventually leading to Perez’s retirement. But Hamilton was adamant that he had every right to “go for the gap”.
“He was slow going through Turn 14,” explained the seven-time world champion. “I went up the inside. I was more than half-a-car length inside and as Ayrton [Senna] said: ‘If you no longer go for a gap then you are no longer a racing driver’. That is what I did. When I watched it back it feels like a racing incident to me. I feel like we should not be deterred from racing.”
Hamilton did add that he did “not really care about finishing fourth” in a sprint race, with so few points on offer. It only cost him three points in the championship. But he said there should have been allowance made for the wet weather.
“My only thought is that it is tricky conditions out there,” he said. “We are doing our best and it wasn’t intentional.”
The main excitement of the race up until that point was whether Oscar Piastri, McLaren’s 22 year old rookie Australian, might take his first race win in any format in Formula One and deny champion-elect Max Verstappen another victory.
As the safety car retired at the end of its five laps, Piastri, who had qualified second, dived into the pits to switch from full wet weather tyres to intermediates on what was by then a rapidly drying track.
Verstappen stayed out on wets, playing it safe, but by the time he emerged from his own pitstop a lap later, Piastri had passed him. The Australian managed to stay ahead until another safety car, this time caused by a crash by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso on lap three. When the race restarted on lap six, Verstappen got a run on Piastri through Eau Rouge and was through before he was halfway along the Kemmel straight.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly finished an impressive third, a performance he dedicated to his best friend Anthoine Hubert, who died at the Belgian circuit following an accident in F2 in 2019.
It was partly because of that fatality, and another earlier this month in FRECA, that race control played it so safe with the conditions on Saturday. Verstappen said he felt the safety car might have gone in a couple of laps earlier, but he was at the front of the race. Those behind him all said that visibility was effectively zero, and having called on the race director Niels Wittich to err on the side of caution here, it was inevitable that he would.
“You couldn’t seen anything so it was good that they did those laps,” Hamilton said. “Even when we got going you could not see the braking zone.”
Woff agreed with his driver on that score, saying the “approach needed to be on the super-safe side” given Spa’s recent history, although he did question whether the regulations might be changed to add the lost laps back onto the race.
The Austrian was more concerned about an incident between his two drivers in the sprint shootout on Saturday morning when a “miscommunication” cost Hamilton the chance to go for a possible front row start as he found his path blocked by teammate George Russell. ‘Miscommunication’ felt slightly generous to Russell. “We need to ramp up our game in these situations,” Wolff said.
The Austrian was also unimpressed with the five-place penalty given to Hamilton in the race.
“Absolute racing incident,” he said. “This is a sprint race. We want to see them racing. [Red Bull’s] argument about the damage [to Perez’s car] isn’t valid because he was going backwards before then. Massively backwards. And then when you look at that corner, they were side by side. It takes two to tango. It’s a racing incident. For me that’s really clear.”
Verstappen wins sprint race at Spa - as it happened
Piastri reacts to an excellent second place
“Very, very happy. We tried out best. We boxed when the safety car came in, led a few laps, tried my best but we were no match for Max. Nice to be up there in P2. I think apart from Max our pace was really strong. The last three weekends it’s been pretty special compared to where we have been. It’s a lot nicer to be up there,”
Verstappen reacts
“I think it was the safer call. I could come in first but then I might be blocked by other cars. It was okay,” he said. A little bit more from him but not much more worth reporting, to be honest. A comfortable win.
“The biggest risk is lap one, turn one...as long as we stay out of trouble...”
Lap 10 of 11 - Russell into eighth
Ricciardo loses the spot at La Source. Leclerc gets a bit squirrely on the exit of turn nine but manages to keep it on track. Verstappen leads Piastri, Gasly, Hamilton and then two Ferraris.
Hamilton would currently drop down to eighth with his penalty but if Russell picks up his pace he would drop down to eighth.
Lap 9 of 11 - Verstappen leads Piastri by 4.5s
Piastri has 1.8sec until Gasly behind him but Gasly is under big pressure from Hamilton, who is having a good race here. Russell gets Ocon and now sets about Ricciardo.
Perez is told to retire the car, I am not surprised.
Hamilton gets a five-second time penalty for that incident with Perez. That would drop him down to eighth currently.
Lap 7 of 11 - Hamilton is still fighting Perez
And he gets him around the outside of La Source... Perez then gets taken by Sainz at Eau Rouge! They were running very close.
Does he have damage? I would not be surprised, he is going backwards and is then overtaken by Leclerc.
“I have no rear grip,” Perez says on the radio. Now he has Norris on his rear wing and he goes off the track at Stavelot and rejoins in 15th... he may as well come into the pit lane now. He was really struggling.
Lap 6 of 11 - Verstappen is right on the back of Piastri heading into Eau Rouge and Raidillon
He gets a slipstream and makes the move very easily into the right-hander at the top of the hill. Piastri did not really nail that restart, unfortunately and that cost him. He has already increased his lead significantly...
Hamilton and Perez collide in the battle for fourth! It was between Stavelot one and two and one car or both have picked up some kind of damage... the fight goes on and the Ferraris are also getting involved.
Lap 5 of 11 - Magnussen thinking about slicks by the end of the race
He is down in 18th and has little to lose other than damaging his car. I am not sure, though. It would be very risky, though the sun is out and it is a long lap.
Anyway, the SC peels in and Piastri leads them away for the restart... Perez got very close to Gasly heading into the chicane and we see yellow flags in sector three and I am not sure why.
Lap 4 of 11 - Alonso put his car onto the right exit kerb...
...and then went round and round and round and just rolled into the barriers. He hasn’t really lost anything there as he was running down so low that he was very unlikely to make points. Still, unusual to see him make a mistake of any kind.
Anyway, here’s a reminder of the top eight:
- PIA
- VER
- GAS
- PER
- HAM
- SAI
- LEC
- NOR
Lap 3 of 11 - Piastri leads Verstappen by less than a second
No DRS in these conditions, but Piastri has his McLaren mirrors full of Max Verstappen. Gasly has Perez on his rear wing and Hamilton is chasing down Perez himself.
Fernando Alonso in the barriers! And that’s a Safety Car. Urgh. And on his birthday. It’s on the exit of the high-speed left-hander at Pouhon.
The Belgian Grand Prix sprint race is go!
Verstappen backs the pack up before Blanchimont and then puts his foot down. There is a lot of spray at high speed. Does Verstappen come in? No he does not...
Some do and some don’t! Piastri comes in, Norris does not. Piastri comes out ahead of the pack behind him. That’s good. Puts him as favourite for the race? Not sure.
Verstappen leads Leclerc, Norris and Ocon - none of those have stopped for intermediate tyres.
Of course, it’s risky as the track is still wet and visibility poor for cars behind. And we do not 100 per cent know if intermediates are the right tyres.
Safety Car to enter the pits at the end of this lap
Verstappen will then in effect become the Safety Car before we get racing. It is currently showing that there will be 11 racing laps, which makes sense as we’ve had four laps behind the SC. How many cars will come in to change for inters? Most of them, it could be quite a mess...
Verstappen says it is also ready for intermediates
This is the slightly farcical thing. That the wet tyres only ever get used when drivers are required to do so, which is when the race begins behind the SC. Gasly and Ocon saying the visibility is not good enough to race. Hmmm. That, I guess, is the issue. The conditions may be fine for qualifying when the cars are not racing and are spread out, but perhaps not the race.
We need two laps of green flag, proper, racing for points to be available.
The race begins...
...albeit behind the Safety Car. Or is this a second formation lap? Russell says the conditions are definitely ready for intermediates. I am not sure why we are still behind the SC...
Verstappen is told the plan is for four laps (four formation laps?) behind the SC car and then a rolling start. I think they are erring on the side of caution here, and perhaps they are right. It will help clear the track a bit.
START DELAYED
Absolutely pelting it down now...
The start has been delayed until 4.12pm BST so that is a seven minute delay whilst they wait for this rain to clear. If it does clear or ease... hmmm. I have a feeling we might not be starting at that time. Might well be a start under the safety car, though.
A mixed weekend from Daniel Ricciardo
A bit of a tyre choice error in yesterday’s qualifying means he’ll start well down in the race tomorrow, but a decent session from him earlier today, P11.
I said before his return that he needs to be on the pace of Tsunoda fairly quickly and then comfortably ahead of him by the end of the season. He’s currently on track for that, I think.
That was a superb lap from Piastri
I think he has been very impressive so far this season, but it was difficult to show that in a problematic McLaren in the first six or seven races in the year. He’s been roughly on the pace of Norris in qualifying for most of the year – even if he has not out-qualified him all that many times – but has found bigger problems on race day.
Since McLaren got their act together and brought their upgraded package, however, he has finished fourth and fifth. Arguably deserved a podium at Silverstone. Norris had those upgrades a race sooner, however.
A reminder about the points for this race
Championship points are available for the top eight finishers.
- 8pts
- 7pts
- 6pts
- 5pts
- 4pts
- 3pts
- 2pts
- 1pt
It makes the race a bit more meaningful in some ways, though it is more useful to those teams outside of the top four or five teams to score some points. Like Haas, Williams, Alfa Romeo or AlphaTauri, for example. Or even Alpine...
Times after the sprint shootout
- Max Verstappen, Netherlands, Red Bull Racing, 1 minute, 46.168 seconds.
- Charles Leclerc, Monaco, Ferrari, 1:46.988
- Sergio Perez, Mexico, Red Bull Racing, 1:47.045
- Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain, Mercedes, 1:47.087.
- Carlos Sainz Jr, Spain, Ferrari, 1:47.152.
- Oscar Piastri, Australia, McLaren, 1:47.365
- Lando Norris, Great Britain, McLaren, 1:47.669
- George Russell, Great Britain, Mercedes, 1:47.805
- Fernando Alonso, Spain, Aston Martin, 1:47.843
- Lance Stroll, Canada, Aston Martin, 1:48.841.
- Yuki Tsunoda, Japan, Alphatauri, 1:53.148.
- Pierre Gasly, France, Alpine, 1:53.671
- Kevin Magnussen, Denmark, Haas, 1:54.160
- Valtteri Bottas, Finland, Alfa Romeo Racing, 1:54.694
- Esteban Ocon, France, Alpine, 1:56.372
- Alexander Albon, Thailand, Williams, 2:00.314
- Guanyu Zhou, China, Alfa Romeo Racing, 2:00.832
- Logan Sargeant, USA, Williams, 2:01.535.
- Daniel Ricciardo, Australia, Alphatauri, 2:02.159
- Nico Hulkenberg, Germany, Haas, 2:03.166.
Sprint shootout report
By Tom Cary Senior Sports Correspondent at Spa-Francorchamps
Max Verstappen pipped McLaren’s rookie driver Oscar Piastri by just 0.011sec to claim pole for Saturday’s sprint race in Belgium as Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton and George Russell almost came to grief in the sprint shootout.
Hamilton nearly went into the back of Russell on his final flying lap after the younger driver locked up at the start, with the seven-time champion complaining afterwards that the session “could have been managed better”.
A dramatic finish to the shootout saw a host of drivers try to get over the line for a second flying lap – on what was a rapidly drying track – before the clock turned red.
That led to an exciting denouement with pole position changing hands multiple times in a matter of seconds. First Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, then Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, then Piastri, and finally Verstappen claimed top spot.
It was a brilliant performance by Piastri in particular. The Australian, 22, is in his first season in the sport and this would have represented his maiden pole, albeit in a sprint shootout rather than a full qualifying session. Told by his race engineer he had been edged by just 11 milliseconds Piastri swore loudly. “----! Thanks everyone. There wasn’t much left in that lap. Probably 11 milliseconds.”
Still, it was another encouraging session for the revitalised McLaren team, for whom Lando Norris will start fifth.
Hamilton was clearly miffed after he had to back off to avoid going into the rear of his team-mate on his final lap. Russell had been ahead heading into turn one, but locked up and then they went side by side onto the Kemmel Straight, with Hamilton having to back off to avoid a collision.
Informed by his race engineer Peter Bonnington that he had finished seventh, eight-tenths adrift of Verstappen, a frustrated Hamilton replied: “It doesn’t help when you are held up at the beginning.”
He later added on the radio: “That could have been so much better, managed better.”
The sprint shootout started 35 minutes late due to torrential rain in the local area, meaning the start of the sprint race – which sees the top eight drivers awarded points, with 8pts for first down to 1pt for eighth – has been pushed back to 4:05pm UK time.
A reminder that the sprint race start time has been delayed
Because the rules require a 4h30min break between the sprint qualifying and the sprint race later in the day. So that means, assuming no further delays or rain, the sprint race will begin at 4.05pm BST.
We will be back around 3.15pm for the build-up to that.
Verstappen reacts to sprint pole
“It was pretty difficult, quite similar to yesterday. We stayed calm, the gap was not as big as yesterday but there was also no need to risk it all. My second sector was probably a bit careful. Still turn eight and nine was super slippery, so I guess I left a bit of time on the table.”
SQ3 - Ocon into fourth
Verstappen todl to pick up the pace in order to get across the line. Perez goes fastest with his first proper hot lap though had to negotiate a lot of traffic in the final chicane.
Verstappen crosses the line with a couple of seconds on the clock so will be the last man to cross the line here.
SQ2 ends - Classification
- VER 1:55.200
- HAM +0.623
- PER +0.678
- GAS +0.937
- LEC +1.065
- PIA +1.192
- SAI +1.357
- NOR +1.628
- OCO +1.851
- RUS +2.193
ELIMINATED: - RIC
- ALB
- SAR
- STR
- ALO
Hmmm. Of the drivers eliminated, it was only Ricciardo who actually set a lap time in that session. That is the risk you take if you don’t set a lap time early on and wait.
SQ2 - Gasly going well and goes fastest
Although Hamilton then beats him by three tenths. Leclerc into third, four tenths down. Lance Stroll the first driver to try slicks and he goes onto the medium tyres. Russell loses some time at turn eight going too deep.
Stroll’s out lap is very tentative... but there is a fairly dry line. He says it’s too early, though. Let’s see...
SQ2 - Norris fastest
A 1:56.828, 0.859sec ahead of Ricciardo in second. Yellow flags in sector three for Logan Sargeant. He gets going in the right direction after what looks like a spin. The problem with changing tyres here is that it is a long lap, a 2:10 out-lap probably and then you have to get the tyres working. It might be now or never...
SQ1 - Hamilton impeded Verstappen at turn eight
Hamilton was on a recharge lap, Verstappen on his hot lap. I don’t think it cost Verstappen too much if anything as Hamilton was on the inside of the corner and that isn’t necessarily the line. Still, it might be a reprimand. Actually, confirmation that no further action will be taken.
SQ1 - Four minutes remain
Sainz has moved fastest ahead of Verstappen, but not for long. Hamilton does the fastest first sector time but Verstappen is on another flyer. Alonso only ninth...
What can Hamilton do? Verstappen moves back to the top of the timesheets a second ahead of Sainz and 1.5sec ahead of Russell but Hamilton crosses the line 0.7sec down on Verstappen...
What if they cannot get the sprint shootout completed before the sprint race?
Then championship order decides the starting grid. The rain looks to have eased slightly in the pit lane. It’s obviously a very changeable place, Spa. There has been plenty of talk this week about changes to the track after various accidents, including two fatalities, in recent years.
Alpine axe Otmar Szafnauer and two other long-serving staff members
It’s more change at Alpine... yet again. Here’s Tom Cary with the latest from a team that continues to under-perform...
Alpine have announced that under-fire team principal Otmar Szafnauer will leave the team “by mutual agreement” following this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, with longstanding sporting director Alan Permane and engineer Pat Fry also departing Enstone.
The announcement comes less than a week after group chief executive Laurent Rossi was moved aside, and following a nightmare Hungarian Grand Prix where both Alpine drivers, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, were eliminated after just two racing laps, due after crashing into each other in a multi-car accident.
Szafnauer has had a long career in the sport with BAR/Honda, Force India, Aston Martin and now Alpine.
A reminder of this weekend's format
Friday, July 28
Practice 1: 12.30pm
Qualifying: 4pm
Saturday, July 29
Sprint shootout/qualifying: 11am
Sprint race: 3.30pm
Sunday, July 30
Race: 2pm
Times after qualifying
- Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1min 46.168secs
- Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 1:46.988
- Sergio Perez (Mex) Red Bull 1:47.045
- Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:47.087
- Carlos Sainz Jr. (Spa) Ferrari 1:47.152
- Oscar Piastri (Aus) McLaren 1:47.365
- Lando Norris (Gbr) McLaren 1:47.669
- George Russell (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:47.805
- Fernando Alonso (Spa) Aston Martin 1:47.843
- Lance Stroll (Can) Aston Martin 1:48.841
- Yuki Tsunoda (Jpn) Scuderia AlphaTauri 1:53.148
- Pierre Gasly (Fra) Alpine 1:53.671
- Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 Team 1:54.160
- Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Alfa Romeo Racing 1:54.694
- Esteban Ocon (Fra) Alpine 1:56.372
- Alexander Albon (Tha) Williams 2:00.314
- Guanyu Zhou (Chn) Alfa Romeo Racing 2:00.832
- Logan Sargeant (USA) Williams 2:01.535
- Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Scuderia AlphaTauri 2:02.159
- Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Haas F1 Team 2:03.166
Good morning F1 fans
And welcome to our coverage for Sprint Saturday, to give it its unofficial title, for this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix. This is the third weekend of six sprint weekends in 2023, which means the format is slightly different and indeed different from last year’s format. In short it’s qualifying for the main race on Friday (already done) and then qualifying for the sprint race this morning and then the actual sprint race itself later this afternoon.
Yesterday was a fairly interesting couple of sessions, first practice and qualifying both being affected by the rain which is around the track all weekend. In the end, though, it was the man who has won the last seven grands prix who topped qualifying by a fairly enormous margin. Who would have though that?
Charles Leclerc, who often goes well at this track, put in a decent performance for Ferrari. He was 0.8sec down on Verstappen but will actually start from pole position on Sunday as the Dutchman takes a grid penalty of five places. Sergio Perez was third with Lewis Hamilton fourth and Carlos Sainz fifth. Oscar Piastri continued his good form in out-qualifying his team-mate Lando Norris, but the other Australian on the grid, Daniel Ricciardo, was eliminated in Q1 and will start 19th.
Should we expect more of the same from the sprint qualifying and race today? Well, probably, yes, but it all depends on the conditions. Spa is a little trickier in the wet than other tracks because of the high speeds, inclines and declines as well as the fact that the track is so large. It can easily be bone dry on one part of the track and soaking on another.
In any case, we will find out and some rain will keep things interesting. Won’t it? Fingers crossed for that, in all honesty.