Red Bull’s Max Verstappen – with the fastest car by far after an engine upgrade – easily won the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix in a snoozefest, leading 30 of the race’s 44 laps despite beginning in the 14th spot after incurring penalties for the engine upgrade.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, Jr. was on pole position but it was only a matter of time – in this case, 12 laps – before Verstappen would make his way through the field and reel in Sainz, Jr. for the lead. Once in the lead, Verstappen turned the race into a snoozefest as he led all but two of the remaining laps in the race.
The expected race for second place never materialized either as Sainz, Jr. was unable to challenge Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, for that spot on the podium and instead had to be satisfied with barely fending off the Mercedes of George Russell for the final podium position.
The lone drama of the race occurred on the first lap as Russell’s Mercedes teammate, seven-time Formula One world champion, Lewis Hamilton, tangled with Alpine’s Fernando Alonso in an attempt to overtake Alonso but Hamilton misjudged the amount of space he had going into a corner and despite being in front of Alonso, was clipped and his car was damaged, ending his race.
With the victory, Verstappen has 284 points in the Formula 1 driver’s standings, and extends his commanding lead over his teammate, Perez, with 191 points as the battle for second and third remains close with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc with 186 points, Sainz, Jr. with 171 points, Russell with 170 points and Hamilton with 146 points.
2022 Belgian Grand Prix Top 10 Finishers
1] Max Verstappen Red Bull
2] Sergio Pérez Red Bull
3] Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari
4] George Russell Mercedes
5] Fernando Alonso Alpine
6] Charles Leclerc Ferrari
7] Esteban Ocon Alpine
8] Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin
9] Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri
10] Alexander Albon Williams
