Formula One in 2023 - The Season So Far

August in motorsport usually means one thing - the Summer shutdown. But, as dreadful as 4 weeks without Formula One sounds, it gives us the chance to sit back and reflect on the first half of a season that's been under complete domination by one team and one driver.

For Red Bull and their reigning World Champion driver; Max Verstappen, the season so far has been absolute perfection, with both team and driver breaking long-standing records for consecutive wins. And, twelve races in, we're yet to see anyone other than Red Bull stand on the top step of the podium. In fact, it's only been Verstappen's teammate; Sergio Perez, who has managed to disturb the Dutchman's flawless season by taking the wins in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan, in the early stages of 2023. However, despite Perez's occasional "glimmer," his season has been plagued by mistakes and issues, letting Verstappen run away with the lead of the Drivers Championship, while depriving fans the chance to see a Championship battle go down to the wire.

Whereas Red Bull's dominance will come as no surprise to F1 aficionados, the improvement at Aston Martin may do, with a third place finish at the opening round of the season in Bahrain for Fernando Alonso, in his first season for the team. Over the course of the next few races, Alonso would continue his impressive form, finishing on the podium in half of the races raced to date. As for his teammate; Lance Stroll, things have been a little bit trickier, especially racing alongside the more experienced, Double World Champion of Alonso. But, a number of point finishes are held to Stroll's name, with his best being 4th in a dramatic Australian Grand Prix that broke the record for the most red flags in a race.

Another team that have made improvements since last season is Mercedes. After initially falling behind in 2022 with the new regulations, the team have turned it around with a pole position in Hungary, several podiums and several fastest laps of the race throughout the first half of the season. The Spanish Grand Prix was a race many passionate Mercedes fans will remember, where both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished in 2nd and 3rd respectively. A collaborative effort from the team and drivers means they sit second in the Constructors Championship going into the Summer break.

Besides Hamilton and Mercedes, Charles Leclerc and Ferrari have been the only other driver and team pairing, that isn't Red Bull, to sit on pole for a race. In fact, they have managed it twice - in Azerbaijan and Belgium, alongside pole for the first Sprint, also in Azerbaijan. However, in what seems to be a regular spiel for Ferrari, the results are not converting and strategy/pit stops still seems to be plaguing the team from Maranello. A rocky start to the season for Leclerc saw a mechanical retirement in Bahrain and a crash in Australia, before improvements saw him end the first half of the season with a third place finish in Belgium. For teammate, Carlos Sainz, things have been more consistent with regular point finishes. Unfortunately for the Spaniard, he lacks the podium finishes that his teammate has, meaning he is slightly behind in the Driver's Championship. With only seven points separating the duo, there is definitely a battle on at Ferrari for the rest of 2023.

One team that has managed to completely turn their 2023 around is McLaren. After a rocky pre-season test and pointless start to the season, a fourth place in Austria for Lando Norris was the start of a turn around, thanks to the teams new updates. McLaren fans in Silverstone would also be in for a treat when both Norris and rookie driver; Oscar Piastri, qualified 2nd and 3rd respectively. After momentarily leading the race, Norris would go on to score the team's first podium of 2023, followed by another podium a week later in Hungary. Both McLaren drivers are ending the first half of the season with a resurgence. They're definitely ones to watch when the racing resumes.

Moving on to the mid-lower end of the field, we come to Alpine, in what's been a relatively "hit and miss" season to date. Although regular point scorers, you can't help but admit some of their more "memorable" races are those which have gone drastically wrong for the team. Take Australia, for example, after numerous red flags, the Alpine duo would have a hefty collision with one another, eliminating them both from the race. In recent races, such as Great Britain and Hungary, the team have become quite notable for their double DNFs. But, it's not been all doom and gloom for the team from Enstone, with a 3rd place finish for Esteban Ocon in Monaco, followed by another 3rd place finish, this time for Pierre Gasly, in the Sprint Race in Belgium. If the team can get on top of their mechanical issues, the French duo of Ocon and Gasly have some potential to cause upset after the break.

Talking of Pierre Gasly, as we know, he has previously felt the wrath of the Red Bull programme. And recently, another driver has been put through a similar humiliation. Nyck de Vries, a Formula E World Champion, was signed to Alpha Tauri for 2023. However, after a run of incidents, such as the clash with Kevin Magnussen in Canada, and a run of pointless races, more was expected of the Dutch driver and he found himself without a race seat for the Hungarian Grand Prix on-wards. So, in is Daniel Ricciardo, an ex-driver for the team who hasn't raced since the back end of 2022. After two races, he also lies pointless, finishing 13th and 16th at Hungary and Belgium, respectively. As for Yuki Tsunoda, the second driver at Alpha Tauri, he has managed to become more accustomed to the 2023 car than that of de Vries, with three 10th place finishes. It's no secret that Alpha Tauri's car is currently the worst one on the grid. And, despite sitting last in the constructor's championship, things are looking close between Williams, Haas, Alfa Romeo and Alpha Tauri. The second Red Bull team could surprise us yet.

Another team who's season could be better is Alfa Romeo, who have shown glimpses of speed at times. An 8th place finish for Valtteri Bottas in Bahrain, plus the fastest lap for Zhou Guanyu, was a positive start to 2023. But, from there, things went backwards, with a string of mainly pointless finishes, mixed in with the odd point scoring one, here and there. Their most notable performance came during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, where both drivers qualified in the top ten - 5th for Zhou and 7th for Bottas. Unfortunately for the team, a poor start to the race for Zhou left him crossing the finish line in 16th whereas teammate, Bottas, fell to 12th. This pretty much reflects the story of their season so far.

Like Alfa Romeo, Haas is another team that has shown glimpses of speed at times. And, although there are only three point finishes to the team's name in 2023, they have, at least, been consistent in finishing races. Nico Hulkenberg has been the team's strongest driver this season with nine points compared to teammate; Kevin Magnussen's, two. But then again, Magnussen has found himself involved in several incidents such as clipping the wall in Australia, tussling with de Vries in Canada and his engine catching fire in Great Britain. As for Hulkenberg, an impressive, yet rain affected, qualifying in Canada saw him place his Haas car on the front row of the grid in 2nd. However, a three place grid penalty awaited the German driver, dropping him to 5th and eventually finishing the race in 15th. As we go into the Summer break, they are currently tied on points with Williams in the Constructor's Championship.

And finally, what about Williams? It's been a strong start for the British team, already scoring more points than they managed throughout the whole of 2022, courtesy of driver Alexander Albon, who has scored points on three separate occasions, his best being a 7th in Canada, where he won Driver of the Day. As for Albon's teammate, rookie driver, Logan Sargeant, he's the only driver, bar de Vries and Ricciardo, to not score points so far in 2023, leading to rumours that he, too, could find himself replaced. Regardless though, Sargeant has had relatively clean races in this part of this season, with his only retirement coming in Canada. The American driver, however, may need to up his game if Williams wants to beat Haas in the Constructor's Championship.

So, how do the Championship standings look?

Driver	Points
Max Verstappen	314​
Sergio Perez	189
Fernando Alonso	149
Lewis Hamilton	148
Charles Leclerc	99
George Russell	99
Carlos Sainz	92
Lando Norris	69
Lance Stroll	47
Esteban Ocon	35
Oscar Piastri	34
Pierre Gasly	22
Alexander Albon	11
Nico Hulkenberg	9
Valtteri Bottas	5
Zhou Guanyu	4
Yuki Tsunoda	3
Kevin Magnussen	2
Logan Sargeant	0
Nyck de Vries	0
Daniel Ricciardo	0

Constructor	Points
Red Bull	503
Mercedes	247
Aston Martin	196
Ferrari	191
McLaren	103
Alpine	57
Williams	11
Haas	11
Alfa Romeo	9
Alpha Tauri	3

Looking at the current standings, it's hard not to believe that Verstappen and Red Bull already have it the bag for a third year running. But, with 10 races, plus 3 Sprint races left, there is still all to play for, with many drivers still mathematically in with a chance to win the Driver's Championship. And, if that doesn't convince you that this next half of the season will be one to watch, just have a look at the battles within the Championship. Alonso is coming under attack in 3rd, Leclerc v Russell v Sainz is shaping up to be entertaining and Ocon v Piastri is also brewing. And, what about Perez? Can he come back on a resurgence? Who knows. The first half may have been full of dominance and procession but surely, the real racing starts now.

Formula E Season Review: A Look Back At 2023

Did anyone else feel as if that Formula E season flew by? It was almost a case of "blink and you'll miss it." Regardless, it was one that was full of action, controversies and a championship battle that went down to the penultimate round in London, where the British driver himself, Jake Dennis, took home the all important Championship trophy in front of his adoring home crowd. But, now that it's all done and dusted for another year, let's take a look back at the action from 2023.

The season opened all the way back in January with an action packed Mexico City E-Prix. Lucas di Grassi, in his maiden race for Mahindra, was on pole and managed to keep the rest of the field behind him during the opening stages of the race later on in the day. A collision between the ABT Cupra of Robin Frijns and the Nissan of Norman Nato brought out the safety car, neutralising the race. Both drivers retired, the former with a broken wrist. However, it was a late lunge by Jake Dennis on di Grassi that scored him the win. Pascal Wehrlein would also overtake the Mahindra to finish 2nd, with di Grassi in 3rd.

Next up was the first double header of the season in Saudi Arabia with the Diriyah E-Prix, with Kelvin Van Der Linde replacing the injured Robin Frijns. Envision driver; Sebastien Buemi, placed his car on pole for the first race. However, on lap 7, Jaguar's Sam Bird, took the lead. Not long after, Buemi then had the Porsche of Wehrlein in his wing mirrors, with the German driver on the charge. He took 2nd from Buemi and later the lead from Bird, before storming to victory. Dennis would come 2nd with Bird in 3rd.

Race number 2 in Diriyah and this time it was pole for McLaren and Jake Hughes. However, moments into the race, the leader was overtaken by yet another Jaguar. This time Mitch Evans. But, McLaren didn't hold back and their second driver, Rene Rast, also spent some time in the lead before Wehrlein, again, came on the charge. The Porsche driver would win for the second race in a row. He was joined on the podium by Dennis and Rast.

It was off to India for Round 4, with Mitch Evans and Jean-Eric Vergne lining up on the front row. After a good start from the pair, Buemi would overtake them both for the lead on lap 7. Things then quickly escalated for Evans, who was hit by his teammate, eliminating both Jaguars from the race. Later on, Vergne made his move for the lead, snatching it away from Buemi. Nick Cassidy, in the second Envision, made the most of attack mode to find himself in 2nd. A safety car was later deployed when Hughes made contact with the wall, setting of a chain reaction at the restart that would see both Rast and Dennis eliminated from the race. But, for Vergne, it was victory. His first for the DS Penske team. Cassidy and Antonio Felix da Costa would finish in 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Not only was Round 5 the first E-Prix to be held in Cape Town, it was also the first pole position for Nissan's Sacha Fenestraz. However, with mayhem at the start, that saw retirements for Wehrlein and Buemi, Fenestraz found himself loosing the lead to Cassidy after the first round of attacks. Later, da Costa would take the lead, but a fatal error in missing the attack mode activation points meant he would reluctantly hand it over to Vergne. da Costa needed to redeem himself and took the lead once again. He finished 0.2 seconds ahead of Vergne and Cassidy. Pole sitter, Fenestraz, would crash out on the final lap.

São Paulo, Brazil. Another inaugural race being held on this year's Formula E calendar. Robin Frijns was back for ABT Cupra after his injury, but it would be the reigning World Champion, Stoffel Vandoorne, gracing pole position. The lights went out and it was battle, after battle for the lead, with Cassidy being the eventual leader. A collision between Dan Ticktum, Dennis and Wehrlein ended Dennis's race much earlier than anticipated. But it was the Jaguar of Evans that would take the chequered flag, ahead of Cassidy, in the Envision, and Bird, the the second Jaguar.

The next double header of the season awaited the drivers in Berlin, Germany where Buemi was on pole for the second time in 2023. After early attack mode activations, which changed the lead numerous times, it was Evans that was the eventual leader. Several Safety Car periods plagued the drivers during this round with Sergio Sette Camara and Rene Rast, Dan Ticktum and Stoffel Vandoorne and Jake Dennis and Antonio Felix da Costa, all coming together in separate incidents. However, despite all of this, it was Evans that would take the win. His teammate, Bird, and the Maserati of Max Guenther would complete the podium.

The rain came down during the second qualifying session in Germany, which led to a surprise front row lock out for the ABT Cupra team and their drivers, Robin Frijns and Nico Mueller. It was a quiet race with many of the battles taking place in the first half, with drivers choosing to activate attack mode early. On lap 25, Nick Cassidy made a move for the lead. He would be the eventual winner with Jake Dennis in 2nd and Jean-Eric Vergne in 3rd. Mueller, who started on the front row, finished 9th, scoring ABT Cupra's first points of the season.

Half-way into the season and it was on to Monaco. Sacha Fenestraz scored his maiden pole position. However, due to an energy consumption infringement, he was disqualified, handing pole to the McLaren man of Jake Hughes. In an incident-filled race, Hughes got off the line well. But, for other drivers such as Lotterer, Rowland, Ticktum, Nato, Guenther and Mueller, it was a race to forget with crashes and incidents effecting them all. Championship contenders, Evans and Cassidy found themselves flying through the field, with the latter leading, when a late race safety car was deployed for the stricken ABT Cupra. The race would go onto end under the SC with Cassidy taking the chequered flag ahead of Evans. Dennis completed the podium.

It was an interesting first half of the season with numerous championship leaders. After a strong start, Wehrlein's consistency faltered, which cost him the championship lead to Nick Cassidy. Dennis, who also had some troublesome races, had dropped into third with the ever improving Jaguar of Mitch Evans only two points behind. With seven races remaining, a lot of questions were waiting to be answered. Can Cassidy keep his impressive form up? Can Wehrlein fight back? What about our reigning world champ; Stoffel Vandoorne? Can he get is first win of the season?

The mid-season break was over and it was on to Indonesia for the double header; Jakarta E-Prix, with two new drivers joining the grid. David Beckmann would be standing in for Andre Lotterer at Andretti and Roberto Merhi would be replacing Oliver Rowland at Mahindra. Maserati had a good start to the weekend with Guenther taking the team's first pole position. However, the German driver could only hold on until lap 4, when the Porsche of Wehrlein came steaming past. After a tough start to the race, Dennis, who had dropped from 2nd to 4th, quickly recovered and found himself back in the top 2. But, it was disaster for Jaguar with both of their drivers colliding with each other, forcing Evans to retire. Wehrlein would take the win, closing in on the championship lead. Dennis and Guenther would make up the remaining podium places.

Race 2 in Jakarta and Guenther had taken a second, consecutive pole position. During the first round of attack modes, the Maserati driver dropped back into third with Evans and Dennis ahead of him. Taking their second attack modes, Guenther leap frogged Dennis and eventually Evans, who was now in third. Further down the field, there was a battle between the top two in the championship; Cassidy and Wehrlein. Cassidy would sustain front wing damage and drop out of the points, leaving Wehrlein to finish in 6th and retake the Championship lead. Guenther would win, a first for Maserati as a whole since 1957. Dennis took a consecutive 2nd place, in as many days, with Evans behind in 3rd.

A new venue was on the cards for Round 12 at the fast-paced Portland International Raceway in Portland, Oregon. Pole sitter, Dennis, had a decent few opening laps before the first activation modes dropped him behind the Nissan of Norman Nato. Envision and Cassidy, who hadn't had the best of qualifyings, were on the path to redeem themselves and took the lead from Nato not long before a safety car interrupted play. After Mueller's stricken ABT Cupra was recovered, after a hefty crash caused by a brake failure, the race for the win was on. da Costa took the the lead with Cassidy and Dennis putting the pressure on through every corner. Both the Envision driver and the Andretti driver eventually made it past the Porsche into 1st and 2nd. This is how they would finish come the chequered flag with da Costa holding onto 3rd. Cassidy's win took him back into the lead of the Championship.

Onto Race 1 of 2 in Rome, with last year's race winner, Evans, on pole position. He would lose the lead, to his teammate, at the start of the race, but would quickly gain it back again. Lotterer was out after crashing his Andretti. But, it was the incident on lap 9 that had everyone talking. The race was red flagged after Bird lost control on a high-speed part of the circuit, with Buemi clipping his rear and veering off into the barrier. da Costa would then collide with Buemi and di Grassi with a slow Wehrlein. Then came Edoardo Mortara, in his Maserati, plowing into the side of Bird at speed. Frijns also sustained enough damage in the crash to retire from the race. All drivers were, thankfully, ok. Fenestraz led the cars away at the restart, but pole sitter Evans used his remaining attack mode to his advantage and retook the lead. Dennis and Cassidy had also made their way to the front of the field with Cassidy getting past Dennis for 2nd. Evans would win with his championship rivals, Cassidy and Dennis, in 2nd and 3rd respectively.

With the championship battle heating up, many were anticipating action in the second race in Rome and, that's exactly what they got, with Dennis and Cassidy on the front row of the grid. Mitch Evans would be behind in 3rd. The race initially got underway with no problems. But, on lap 2, it was disaster for Cassidy and Evans, with Evans colliding with Cassidy as the latter made a move for the lead. Both drivers were left with extensive damage and Evans would eventually retire from the race. As for Championship leader, Dennis, he cruised to victory and grew his lead in the championship. Cassidy scored nothing.

The last 2 rounds of the season took place in London for the London E-Prix. Dennis would go into the weekend with a 24 point lead over Cassidy. Evans and Wehrlein were, mathematically, still in championship contention but would most likely need a miracle.

Evans was the pole sitter for Race 1 but, thanks to his collision with Cassidy in Rome, he would drop 5 places, ironically, handing pole to his fellow countryman and championship rival. A dramatic race saw Cassidy lead until Evans made a move. Buemi and Dennis would follow the Jaguar driver through, dropping Cassidy to 4th before retaking 3rd from Dennis. Things were getting tense between the Envision drivers of Buemi and Cassidy before the latter ran into his teammate and retired as a consequence, damaging his Championship chances in the process. There were also crashes and retirements for Wehrlein, Hughes and Sacha Fenestraz, with the Nissan driver bringing out the Red Flag. A second red flag was thrown at the restart after a multi-car collision that saw only the top 3 unscathed. The majority were able, and allowed, to restart for a third time with Evans leading the drivers home. da Costa and Dennis came 2nd and 3rd, respectively. However, due to a post-race penalty of 3 minutes(!) because of a "technical infringement," da Costa would loose his podium position, promoting new Formula E World Champion; Dennis, into 2nd. Buemi would stand on the third step.

The season finale would go onto to be heavily delayed due to rain in London. But, once things were underway, it would be Cassidy who lead the drivers away from pole position. A relatively processional race, due to the wetter weather, Dennis would make his way past Nato for 3rd while Cassidy and Evans ahead would storm ahead of the rest of the field. After upset the day prior, Cassidy would take the last win of 2023 with Evans and Dennis also on the podium. Not only did Cassidy's win secure him as runner up in the Championship, it also gave Envision the Constructors Championship win.

So, there it is - Formula E in 2023. What a season. We already want more. Congratulations to Jake Dennis on becoming the new Formula E World Champion. Full results, courtesy of Wikipedia, can be found below.

Going into the break, we're still left with a number of questions. My biggest one asking what went on at DS Penkse this year? Their drivers, Vergne and Vandoorne, two of the most successful in the series, were nowhere. And, what happened at Envision in London with the communication breakdown between teams and drivers which effectively destroyed any hope of Cassidy winning the Drivers Championship? No clue. And, finally, who will be lining up on the grid next year? Things are shaping up nicely and I, for one, cannot wait!

Race Report: Belgian Sprint Race and Grand Prix 2023

There was a change of date in store for the Belgian Grand Prix weekend in 2023, with the event taking place at the end of July, rather than the end of August - something we've become very accustomed to over the years. However, despite this, the rain still fell, making it a proper Belgian Grand Prix weekend. And, with the addition of the Sprint for this year, there was hope for a lot of on track action.

Saturday was Sprint Day and Max Verstappen and Red Bull graced pole position, yet again. Oscar Piastri would start 2nd, with the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz in 3rd. And, with it raining cats and dogs at the supposed "lights out" time, the race start was delayed, eventually getting underway with some formation laps behind the Safety Car.

During the formation laps, it's quickly evident that visibility will be an issue here, with Mercedes' George Russell complaining that he can't see a thing on the straights. Elsewhere, Verstappen is told over team radio that the Safety Car will be out for 4 laps - a decision he thinks is wise.

With a track that's quickly drying, after the 4 laps, the Safety Car peels into the pits and with a rolling start, the now 12 lap race, gets fully underway. Piastri, Sainz, Pierre Gasly, Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez all jump into the pits for a change of tyre compound. Verstappen stays out with Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, Esteban Ocon and George Russell following him across the line. By the start of the following lap, the rest of the field peel in.

Things have worked out like a charm for Piastri, who finds himself in the lead after Verstappen's stop. The latter rejoins the track in 2nd. Gasly, in the Alpine, is 3rd. Hamilton, however, is stuck in the pits as traffic continuously flows in and out. Eventually, he's back out in 5th, losing a spot to Perez.

Fernando Alonso, in the Aston Martin, started the race in a lonely 15th. He's now stuck in the gravel at Pouhon. Replays show that he was attempting an attack on Haas' Nico Hulkenberg before spinning out as the back end of his car stepped out. Thankfully, he missed the barrier and is ok. The safety car is deployed while the Aston Martin is recovered.

With 5 laps remaining, the safety car returns to the pits. Some drivers consider switching to the slick tyre but no one makes the jump. Pisatri leads across the line but down the Kemmel Straight Verstappen is all over the McLaren driver and blasts past him without a second thought. Further back, Williams driver; Logan Sargeant, receives a 5 second time penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

The second Red Bull of Sergio Perez is now under attack from Hamilton who makes contact with him on the exit of Stavelot. The Red Bull falls down the order before taking a trip through the gravel. He rejoins in 16th but is eventually told by the team to "box and retire." The incident is noted by Race Control and is later investigated by the Stewards with the Mercedes driver being handed a 5 second time penalty.

The track is looking close to slicks. However, Verstappen starts his final lap, storming to victory by over 6 seconds to second place man, Piastri. Gasly holds onto third with the Ferraris in 4th and 5th. Norris is 6th and, after his penalty, Hamilton comes home 7th. The top 10 is rounded out by Russell, Ocon and Daniel Ricciardo.

Dawn broke on Sunday with a 40% chance of rain for the race. A complete contrast to what was experienced less than 24 hours before. A 5-place grid penalty, due to a new gearbox, had Championship leader; Verstappen, starting down in 6th. But, it would be Ferrari and Charles Leclerc on pole with Sergio Perez alongside him. Nico Hulkenberg would start for Haas from the pitlane.

Leclerc leads the drivers away for the formation lap. The majority of cars are starting on softs bar the McLarens, Russell, the Aston Martins, Tsunoda and Hulkenberg, who are all on mediums. Everyone manages to get back into their grid slots with no fuss and the race begins.

It's a decent get away for Leclerc in the Ferrari with Perez right on his tail. Sainz locks up at La Source and with no where to go, squeezes Piastri who clips the wall and starts to fall down the order. However, back at the front, on the Kemmel Straight, Perez takes the lead from Leclerc. As for the second Red Bull, Verstappen is up to 4th by the end of the opening lap.

The yellow flag is now out to warn drivers of the stationary Piastri at the Fagnes chicane. The car is quickly recovered and the race goes green once again. Sainz is also struggling since his first lap tussle with the McLaren. He is told that he's lost "5% of aero balance,", which suggests that he is carrying extensive damage as the race progresses. It isn't long before he starts to tumble down the order.

Verstappen now has Hamilton in his sights, with the latter complaining about the car in front's (Leclerc) track limits at turn 9. On lap 6, Verstappen makes his move, taking the final podium spot from the Mercedes driver. With clear air ahead of him, Verstappen sets the fastest lap of the race so far with a 1:52.130.

There is movement in the pitlane with Norris coming in for fresh tyres. He switches to hards. Ocon, Bottas, Ricciardo and Magnussen join him. Sainz, who has dropped to the back of the field, also pits. But he's not retiring. He joins the track once again on medium tyres.

Back on the race track, McLaren's day gets worse when Norris is passed by a Williams and Alpine, demoting him to 16th. However, it's the complete opposite at Red Bull. Perez still leads from Leclerc but, with the help of DRS on the Kemmel Straight, Verstappen blasts past the Ferrari making it a Red Bull 1-2. The race is on.

In the mid-field, a battle is brewing between the Williams of Albon and the Alpha Tauri of Tsunoda. Using Williams' incredible straight line speed, Albon quickly makes his way past the Alpha Tauri, but Tsunoda isn't letting this one go. Just one lap later, Tsunoda repays the favour, taking his position back once again.

Perez pits from the lead but it's a slow stop. Unusual for Red Bull. Verstappen then comes in the next time around and it's back to business as usual. He's back on track 2 seconds behind Perez. It isn't long, however, until the reining World Champion is right behind his teammate. On lap 17, he makes the move, taking the lead on the Kemmel Straight.

The talk of rain starts to do the rounds over team radio. Three drivers; Stroll, Russell and Gasly, are yet to pit. If the rain is intense enough, this could work out well for them. Just like how it's all working well out front for Verstappen who has raced of into the distance, leaving Perez behind. The Dutch driver posts another new fastest lap of the race.

Sainz quickly reports that it's raining at turn 15. It also begins in the pitlane and is due to last for 10 minutes. Verstappen's pace drops as he tells the team "it's raining, quite a lot." Aston Martin call Stroll in for his first pitstop of the race. It's quite a bold move for the team who fit him with slicks, rather than inters. At the same time, the track isn't quite ready for that wetter weather tyre.

With the wetter conditions, Norris and his McLaren are starting to come alive. The higher downforce that they've set the car up with is paying off, for now. At the bottom of Eau Rouge, there's nail biting action for Verstappen who has a wobble going up the hill. He manages to save it. Despite this, he still manages to further widen the gap to Perez, which is now up to over 5 seconds.

With the sprinkling of rain dying out, Ferrari decide to call it a day for Sainz, who is still at the back of the pack. A new fastest lap of the race is also set, but not by Verstappen. This time it's Hulkenberg on a new set of soft tyres. Talking of new tyres, with the rain gone, round two of pit stops begin. Hamilton pits, setting off a chain reaction that sees Alonso, Leclerc, Perez and Verstappen also dive into the pitlane for fresh rubber to see them to the end.

Things start to seem a bit tense over team radio at Red Bull with Verstappen's engineer not overly impressed with how his driver handled the out-lap after pitting. "You used a lot of the tyre on the out-lap Max, I am not sure that was sensible," Verstappen is told. His lead to Perez is nearing 10 seconds now. He then sets another fastest lap. Over one second quicker than anyone else. "I'd ask you to use your head a bit more," Verstappen is later told. But, he wants to go faster and suggests that the team could do with a bit more "pitstop training."

There's a battle down in the mid-field for the final point between Gasly and Albon. With the help of DRS, Albon tries a move but is unsuccessful, with Gasly staying ahead. The squabbling gives Bottas in the Alfa Romeo a chance to join in on the fight. However, Albon bails and pulls into the pits for his final stop. Tsunoda is currently sitting nicely in 9th with Ocon not far behind. However, the Alpine overtakes the Alpha Tauri going into Les Combes. Gasly, in the second Alpine, is also now on the hunt.

The stewards have been relatively quiet today but, with only a handful of laps to go, Sargeant is shown the black and white flag for track limits. One more and it will be a penalty. Russell, who has only made one stop, is starting the struggle on his tyres, dropping back from Alonso in 5th. Norris is 7 seconds behind Russell, with the McLaren making plenty of gains during the wetter weather.

Hamilton is starting to close in on Leclerc but decides to abandon the hunt, instead pitting for his final set of tyres. Is he going for the fastest lap and that all important extra point?

It's Verstappen that wins the Belgian Grand Prix. His 8th consecutive win this season. Perez crosses the line in 2nd, giving Red Bull another 1-2 finish. Leclerc is 3rd and Hamilton, with the new fastest lap, in 4th. Then comes Alonso, Russell and Norris. With Ocon, Stroll and Tsunoda holding on to the final point positions.

Is there anything or anyone that can stop Verstappen this year? Only time will tell. Until then, it's time for the Summer Break. *Boooooo* See you guys in a few weeks for Zandvoort!