Oscar Piastri may have started on pole ahead of the race in Belgium, however it was Max Verstappen who prevailed by the end of the clean Sprint to take home eight points and a win. Below are some of the highlights from the 15-lap race.
- Verstappen Took the Lead on First Lap
- Max Verstappen started the Sprint race from second on the grid, behind Piastri, but when the lights went out, the four-time World Championship was rightly determined to pass the McLaren driver. While they were still on the first lap, Verstappen did so, and Piastri did minimal defending since he didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks. From there, Max may have had to do some defending, but by the end of 15 laps, the Red Bull driver crossed the line first to take the win.
- Double Points for Haas
- Haas had a good qualifying ahead of the Sprint race, and their two drivers were able to use that momentum to secure point-finishes by the end of the race. Esteban Ocon kept his spot of P5, and Ollie Bearman held off Isack Hadjar to take seventh. The America team’s strong result means they now sit only 1 point away from Aston Martin in the Constructors’ Championship Standings. If they can deliver in the Grand Prix, Haas has a good chance of moving up into eighth place.
- Carlos Sainz has One of his Best Races in a While
- Sainz had been struggling some time in his Williams, but today’s Sprint race was just what he needed to get a little confidence boost. The Spaniard had a strong qualifying to place his car sixth on the grid, and Sainz was able to retain that position from the start to the finish of the 15-lap race. Hopefully the result, even if it only delivered 3 points, will give him more momentum heading into the Grand Prix qualifying.
- Lewis Hamilton had a Rough Race
- Hamilton’s qualifying did not go as he would’ve hoped, as the Ferrari driver only qualified eighteenth on the grid. Although he did manage to finish three places up in fifteenth, it will still be a race to forget for Lewis. The Brit seemed to not yet have found a rhythm with his Ferrari car, and this Sprint race has undoubtedly dampened his confidence.
- Pierre Gasly Retirement
- Gasly may have qualified eighth going into the Sprint race, however he didn’t get a chance to take advantage of the position, as an issue with his Alpine caused him to not be able to start the race until two laps had already passed. He was sent out primarily for a more practice-like run, however he eventually suffered a DNF, which will be disappointing considering he could’ve been in points contention this Sprint race.
