Photo source: Formula 1
SPA, BELGIUM – Oscar Piastri impressively leads another McLaren 1-2 finish, with teammate Lando Norris finishing second and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc claiming third. The Sprint Race saw Red Bull’s Max Verstappen take victory, holding off McLaren pressure from Piastri and Norris who finished second and third respectively. Formula 2 and Formula 3 also featured in the weekend.
Formula 3
Formula 3 drivers took to the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps for the eighth round of the championship. The Sprint Race saw TRIDENT driver Noah Stromsted take his first win in Formula 3 from second on the grid. Stromsted made an early overtake on pole-sitter Freddie Slater and pushed on, eventually creating a six second gap over PREMA Racing’s Ugo Ugochukwu who claimed second. TRIDENT completed a 1-3 finish with Charlie Wurz finishing third.
The Feature Race was red flagged after severe conditions led to two separate stoppages. No racing laps were completed, so no points were awarded in accordance with the FIA Formula 3 Sporting Regulations.
Formula 2
In Formula 2, Invicta Racing driver Leonardo Fornaroli made it two consecutive Sprint Race victories from third on the grid. A strong start put him in front on the opening lap, where he then controlled the rest of the race until the chequered flag. ART Grand Prix driver Victor Martins placed second after starting sixth on the grid, while PREMA Racing’s Gabriele Minì came through from eighth to finish third.
Alexander Dunne converted pole into a third Feature Race win of the season as he navigated the varied, wet conditions. The Rodin Motorsport driver was forced to hold off consistent pressure from Ritomo Miyata and Roman Stanek before clinching victory. Campos Racing’s Arvid Lindblad came through the field to place second, with Stanek taking the final spot on the podium for Invicta Racing.
Formula 1
Max Verstappen secured his first Sprint win of the season at the Belgian Grand Prix, after making an impressive overtake on sprint pole-sitter Oscar Piastri during the opening lap. Nonetheless, Verstappen faced increasing pressure from both McLaren drivers throughout but ultimately maintained his lead. Piastri and Lando Norris settled for second and third respectively.
In the Race, heavy rain delayed proceedings by nearly 80 minutes, with a rolling start finally getting underway on Lap 5. Pole-sitter Lando Norris seemed to have a wobbly start, as teammate Piastri swiftly passed him through Eau Rouge. In an uneventful race, the two title challengers finished 20 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in third. Sprint winner Max Verstappen, however, closed in on the podium but finished 1.5 seconds behind Leclerc. George Russell in the Mercedes placed fifth after passing Williams’s Alex Albon early on, who finished sixth. Lewis Hamilton climbed 11 places in his Ferrari after a pit lane start to finish an impressive seventh place. Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls and Kick Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto claimed 8th and 9th respectively, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly taking the final point on offer in P10.
Formula 1, Formula 2 and Formula 3 will race again in their double-header weekend at the Hungarian Grand Prix from August 1-3.
