The summer break in Formula 1 has come to an end and the car feast we’ve been waiting for has been held in Belgium, at the iconic Spa track. The race, where six pilots were penalized for bringing their “new toys” and started from the back row, also hosted many passes.
Six drivers, who changed both the engine and some other components after the summer break, were penalized at the end of qualifying and sent to the back of the grid. Among these drivers was the reigning champion Verstappen and his biggest rival, Charles Leclerc.
From the back to the top
The race started off quite enthusiastically, with two former champions and two former teammates Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton making contact on the first lap. After this contact, Hamilton slowed down due to a malfunction in his car’s undercarriage and withdrew from the race. Thus, Hamilton, who is the only driver to complete all the races this season, is out of the race for the first time in 2022. A short time later, Valtteri Bottas, who was trying to save himself from Latifi’s spin, was able to stop by hitting the wall and was out of the race.
Verstappen, one of the champion candidates, started the race in 14th place and finished at the top. Thus, he became the second name in the history of Formula 1 to start in double digits in two races in a row and finish the race first. Perez took second place. Thus, Red Bull made its 4th double this year. Ferrari driver Sainz, who started the race from the first pocket, took third place, while Russell and Leclerc took it. However, Leclerc was dropped to 6th place after receiving a 5-second penalty and was replaced by Alonso. Esteban Ocon, Sebastian Vettel, Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon completed the top 10. The fastest lap also went to Verstappen.
The next race of the season in Formula 1 will be held in the Netherlands on 02-04 September.
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