Highlights of the Belgian Grand Prix

Leclerc secures maiden F1 win

Third time proved to be the charm for Charles Leclerc, who secured his first grand prix victory during Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix. Leclerc started from pole, and led for the bulk of the race, but the performance was no walkover. The Monegasque racer was pitted after teammate Sebastian Vettel, despite having track position, and by the time Leclerc emerged from the pits freshly shod on lap 21 he had lost out to Vettel. On lap 27 Ferrari radioed their drivers to swap positions, and Leclerc regained the lead. But in the closing stages of the race a closing Lewis Hamilton increased the pressure, and they crossed the finish line split by less than one second. Leclerc kept both a cool head and the win.

“It feels good, but it’s difficult to enjoy on a weekend like this. It’s a dream come true anyway,” said Leclerc on the Ferrari team radio after taking the chequered flag.

Spa misery for the Verstappen army

Semi-local hero Max Verstappen had a terrible Belgian Grand Prix weekend in front of an estimated 28,000 Dutch fans. After a slow start, the Red Bull driver made contact with the Alfa Romeo of Kimi Raikkonen as the pair rounded La Source, briefly putting the Finn on two wheels and sending him to the pits for repairs. Verstappen was able to continue after the incident despite a broken track rod, but as the Red Bull was turning through Radillon the car carried straight on, ploughing the Spa race’s star attraction into the barriers at Eau Rouge before a single racing lap was complete.

Technical troubles for McLaren on mixed day

Until the last lap it looked as though the Belgian Grand Prix would prove to be a highlight of Lando Norris’ 2019 season. The McLaren rookie got an excellent start off the line and spent most of the afternoon running in a comfortable fifth place before running into mechanical trouble as he crossed the line to begin the final lap. The British racer dropped to a classified eleventh despite not taking the chequered flag. On the other side of the garage, Carlos Sainz had a miserable afternoon, declaring no power on the start and retiring on the second lap.