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
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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
Max Verstappen on his way to another victory (Lap 44/44)
The flares are already being let off in the stands as Max Verstappen starts his final lap...
Red Bull heading to 13th F1 win in a row...
Lewis Hamilton pits for the fastest lap (Lap 43/44)
With a pit-stop cushion to Fernando Alonso behind and Charles Leclerc seemingly not catchable, Mercedes pit Lewis Hamilton onto new mediums to get the fastest lap!
He’ll have one opportunity around Spa-Francorchamps...
Max Verstappen cruising to another win (Lap 42/44)
Three laps to go and Max Verstappen is 19 seconds clear of Sergio Perez - and he holds the fastest lap!
Charles Leclerc looked fairly comfortable in third but Lewis Hamilton is closing in. The gap is now 2.2 seconds...
5-10: Alonso, Russell, Norris, Ocon, Stroll, Tsunoda
George Russell likely to do a one-stop (Lap 39/44)
The Mercedes of George Russell is looking to make a set of softs for essentially half the race! He’s currently in P6...
Meanwhile, Esteban Ocon pulls a brilliant move on Yuki Tsunoda at the chicane after the Kemmel Straight for ninth place!
Can Tsunoda’s AlphaTauri hold on to a point now in 10th? Pierre Gasly is two seconds down the road.
Top-10: Verstappen, Perez, Leclerc, Hamilton, Alonso, Russell, Norris, Stroll, Ocon, Tsunoda
Max Verstappen gets another telling off! (LAp 34/44)
Lambiase: “This tyre had reasonable deg in the first stint. I’d ask you to use your head a bit more.”
Verstappen: “I could also push and we could do some pit stop training?!”
Lambiase: “No, not this time.”
Max Verstappen’s gap to Sergio Perez is now 13 seconds!
Max Verstappen opts not to reply to his engineer! (Lap 33/44)
“You used a lot of the tyre on that out lap Max, not sure that was sensible,” Max Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase says.
No reply from Verstappen seemingly. Instead he does his talking on the track, as he sets the fastest lap of the race!
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez both pit (Lap 31/44)
The front two pit onto soft tyres - both smooth stops - and Max Verstappen’s lead to Sergio Perez is 9.3 seconds.
Lewis Hamilton is closing the gap to Charles Leclerc in third - the gap currently 2.3 secs.
5-10: Alonso, Russell, Norris, Stroll, Tsunoda, Ocon
Lewis Hamilton pits (Lap 28/44)
And it’s soft tyres for Lewis Hamilton, who was complaining about his mediums!
A 2.7 second stop, and he’s out in fifth place - three seconds behind the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso.
Top-10: Verstappen, Perez, Leclerc, Alonso, Hamilton, Russell, Norris, Stroll, Tsunoda, Albon
Carlos Sainz retires (Lap 25/44)
This was an inevitability!
Carlos Sainz was trundling at the back of the field after the damage to his sidepod - and Ferrari have finally retired the car.
A disappointing end to the weekend for the Spaniard.
Rain has stopped and track is drying up (Lap 24/44)
Looks like something of a false alarm at Spa! The rain was brief and not heavy enough to impact the track conditions.
No inters will be needed for the time being...
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