F1 Belgian Grand Prix LIVE: Race results as Max Verstappen wins again at Spa-Francorchamps

Formula 1 live updates at Spa-Francorchamps as Max Verstappen cruises to another victory at Spa

Verstappen: "I'm happy" - despite grid penalty

Max Verstappen’s invincible streak continued at the Belgian Grand Prix with another crushing win.

The double world champion started sixth but took the lead at Spa Francorchamps on lap 17 of 44 before taking the chequered flag 22.3 seconds clear of his forlorn Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez.

Verstappen’s triumph was his eighth in a row – one shy of Sebastian Vettel’s record – and 10th from the 12 rounds so far. He leads Perez by a mammoth 125 points in the standings – the equivalent of five victories – heading into Formula 1’s summer break.

Pole-sitter Charles Leclerc took the final spot on the podium with Lewis Hamilton, who denied Verstappen a bonus point by setting the fastest lap, fourth.

Follow live reaction from the Belgian Grand Prix with The Independent

F1 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX - UPDATES

• Max Verstappen wins the Belgian Grand Prix; Perez 2nd; Leclerc 3rd
• Click HERE for the top-10 at Spa-Francorchamps
• Lap 17/44: Max Verstappen overtakes Sergio Perez for the race lead
• Lap 2/44: Oscar Piastri forced to retire after collision with Carlos Sainz at turn 1
• Lap 1/44: Sergio Perez overtakes Charles Leclerc for the lead
• Verstappen won the Saturday sprint race; Piastri 2nd; Gasly 3rd
• ‘We should not be deterred’: Lewis Hamilton unhappy with stewards after penalty
• Carlos Sainz interview: ‘All of us at Ferrari expected more – we haven’t done the best job’

[30 July 2023 13:51 · Kieran Jackson]

Attendance figures at the Belgian Grand Prix

380,000 this weekend in total. That’s up 20,000 on last year!

Impressive, given the torrential weather!

(Getty Images)

[30 July 2023 13:48 · Kieran Jackson]

Time for the Belgian national anthem at Spa

Performed in rather extravagant style by Antoine Delie!

[30 July 2023 13:44 · Kieran Jackson]

Red Bull boss Christian Horner:

[30 July 2023 13:40 · Kieran Jackson]

Constructors’ Championship (updated after sprint race)

1) Red Bull - 460 points

2) Mercedes - 226 points

3) Aston Martin - 184 points

4) Ferrari - 176 points

5) McLaren - 97 points

6) Alpine - 53 points

7) Williams - 11 points

8) Haas - 11 points

9) Alfa Romeo - 9 points

10) AlphaTauri - 2 points

[30 July 2023 13:34 · Kieran Jackson]

The cars and the drivers are on the grid at Spa!

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

[30 July 2023 13:30 · Kieran Jackson]

Carlos Sainz interview: ‘All of us at Ferrari expected more – we haven’t done the best job’

Exclusive interview by Kieran Jackson

Silverstone, 2022. That was the moment a goal within touching distance for so long was finally grasped by Carlos Sainz. Fittingly, his first pole position of his career was duly followed by a first Formula 1 race win, in his 150^th grand prix. Ferrari were back among the top contenders and Sainz, this time, was the leading man ahead of his team-mate Charles Leclerc. The Scuderia were a force at the front once more. Or so we thought.

Despite producing a race-winning car, Ferrari failed to capitalise last year amid strategy and reliability clangers. Red Bull leapfrogged the calamitous prancing horse – and have not looked back. Now, Ferrari have not won since Austria last year, just a week after Sainz’s inaugural triumph. They are fourth in the Constructors’ Championship at the halfway stage this season. Sainz has not even finished on the podium.

“I thought we’d be fighting for more podiums and wins but unfortunately it’s a very competitive team called Red Bull who are dominating,” Sainz tells The Independent.

[30 July 2023 13:25 · Kieran Jackson]

Belgian Grand Prix race winner odds!

Fancy a flutter?

Max Verstappen - 2/9

Sergio Perez - 6/1

Charles Leclerc - 12/1

Lewis Hamilton - 14/1

Oscar Piastri - 20/1

Lando Norris - 30/1

Carlos Sainz - 45/1

George Russell - 70/1

Fernando Alonso - 125/1

Lance Stroll - 125/1

Odds provided by Betfair

[30 July 2023 13:20 · Kieran Jackson]

Constructors’ Championship (updated after sprint race)

1) Red Bull - 460 points

2) Mercedes - 226 points

3) Aston Martin - 184 points

4) Ferrari - 176 points

5) McLaren - 97 points

6) Alpine - 53 points

7) Williams - 11 points

8) Haas - 11 points

9) Alfa Romeo - 9 points

10) AlphaTauri - 2 points

[30 July 2023 13:15 · Kieran Jackson]

Lewis Hamilton’s reaction to his collision and penalty in the sprint race

[30 July 2023 13:10 · Kieran Jackson]

Max Verstappen sees off Oscar Piastri to win thrilling sprint race in Belgium

Sprint race report

Max Verstappen overcame Oscar Piastri to win Formula One’s sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Pole-sitter Verstappen fell behind Piastri after the Australian moved from wet tyres to intermediate rubber a lap earlier before blasting back into the lead at the midway stage of a frantic rain-hit dash at Spa-Francorchamps.

Rookie Piastri finished runner-up with Pierre Gasly a surprise third for Alpine. Lewis Hamilton finished fourth but was hit with a five-second penalty for colliding with Sergio Perez, dropping him to seventh.

Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were promoted to fourth and fifth respectively for Ferrari with McLaren’s Lando Norris sixth. George Russell took the final point in eighth.