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Verstappen gets set for Spa by racing Tour de France points winner Van Aert
Max Verstappen continued his emphatic march towards his second world championship in as many years as the Dutchman produced a stunning drive from 14th on the grid to win the Belgian Grand Prix and extend his lead at the top of the championship standings.
Verstappen is now closing in on a second triumph after he claimed his ninth win from 14 races. The Red Bull driver is 98 points clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc with just 216 remaining. Verstappen qualified almost seven tenths faster than anyone else, but started in the lower echelons of the grid after taking on his fourth engine of his title defence – one more than is permitted under the rules.
But such was Verstappen’s speed, he was up to eighth by the end of the first lap, and then third by lap eight. At the end of lap 11, Carlos Sainz stopped from the lead for new tyres, and moments later, Verstappen sailed past Sergio Perez for first. Verstappen briefly dropped to second when he changed tyres, but a few laps later he was back ahead of Sainz and that was that.
Lewis Hamilton retired for the first time in 2022 after a first lap collision with Fernando Alonso, which Hamilton took responsibility for. His Mercedes team-mate George Russell finished fourth, while Leclerc finished sixth after a five-second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
F1 news: Lewis Hamilton refuses to talk to Fernando Alonso after ‘idiot’ jibe at Belgian Grand Prix
As Max Verstappen continued his unstoppable march towards taking his second world championship by winning from 14th on the grid, Hamilton’s afternoon at Spa-Francorchamps was over inside five corners following an accident in which the British driver claimed he almost broke his back and said he was grateful to be alive.
Sergio Perez took second with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz third. George Russell finished fourth for Mercedes. Hamilton started fourth, one position behind Alonso, on Formula One’s return to action following its traditional summer shutdown.
He followed Alonso through the opening La Source, up the fearsome uphill Eau Rouge corner, and then on the ensuing Kemmel Straight at 200mph. Hamilton jinked to the left of Alonso under braking at Les Combes, and was marginally ahead as they approached the right-left-right run of corners.
But when the Briton turned in for the bend, his right-rear tyre made contact with Alonso’s left-front wheel. Hamilton was launched into the air and landed forcefully on the belly of his Mercedes. He ran over the rumble strips, and attempted to soldier on, but water was pouring out of his terminally-wounded machine. Hamilton was ordered by his team to stop.
Lewis Hamilton refuses to talk to Fernando Alonso after ‘idiot’ jibe
Championship leader Max Verstappen was victorious at Spa-Francorchamps
Kieran Jackson29 August 2022 10:13
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