F1: Verstappen takes a crushing eighth win in a row at Belgian Grand Prix | Racing News
Crimson Bull’s thirteenth consecutive victory made the staff the primary within the sport’s 73-year historical past to win the opening 12 races of a season, yet another than McLaren managed in 1988 with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost.
Verstappen, who began sixth after a five-place grid penalty, prolonged his championship lead over Perez to 125 factors — successfully 5 races — after taking the chequered flag 22.3 seconds forward of the Mexican.
“I knew we had a fantastic automotive, it was nearly surviving flip one,” mentioned the double world champion, who has now gained in Belgium for the final three years in a row together with from 14th on the grid final yr.
“From there onwards we made the suitable overtakes and strikes.”
He’s heading for a 3rd title with loads of races to spare, the one actual doubt being the place he may seal it.
Charles Leclerc, who began on pole for Ferrari, accomplished the rostrum with Lewis Hamilton fourth and secured the quickest lap for Mercedes.
The one-two was Crimson Bull’s fifth of the season and so comfy for Verstappen that his feisty radio chats with race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase supplied rather more of a speaking level.
Additionally they confirmed his supreme confidence.
“I may additionally push on and we do one other cease? Just a little little bit of pit cease coaching,” Verstappen prompt with 14 laps remaining.
“No, not this time,” got here the reply.
Lambiase had earlier advised Verstappen sharply to “use your head a bit extra” and questioned whether or not it had been smart for the driving force to push so arduous on the tyres on his out lap after a cease.
“Max, please comply with my instruction and belief it,” Lambiase advised his driver as early as lap 12 after his phrase had been questioned.
AGGRESSIVE START
Perez made an aggressive begin from second on the grid, tucking in behind Leclerc via the tight, opening La Supply nook after which blasting previous on the Kemmel straight to grab the lead.
Verstappen was already as much as fourth and chasing Hamilton.
He handed the seven-times world champion on lap six at Les Combes and pulled off the same transfer on Leclerc three laps later on the similar place to start out the chase of Perez and a personal Crimson Bull battle.
By lap 16, after each had pitted with Verstappen’s cease half a second quicker, the Dutch driver was proper on Perez’s tail and completely positioned to blow previous the Mexican on the Kemmel straight and draw back.
Perez by no means obtained one other probability after that.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was the race’s first casualty, the Australian rookie stopping by the aspect of the monitor after Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz squeezed him towards the wall at La Supply on the opening lap.
“I do not know what he was doing. I used to be there and he simply turned in like I did not exist,” mentioned the Australian rookie who completed second in Saturday’s dash.
Sainz’s sidepod was holed within the contact and the Spaniard dropped down the sector earlier than placing to retire on the finish of lap 23, with the automotive wheeled into the storage.
