Buckle up for the Belgian Grand Prix at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps, the last round before the summer break. This historical track has seen some unforgettable moments over the years, but while history lingers in the air, Alpine is keen on a fresh start.
That’s not the end of it – that’s just the action off-track! There’s certainly even more to cover about what went on on-track. Curious to see who were the winners and losers of this race? Then keep reading.
Top of the class:
Charles Leclerc – Qualifying: 2nd (started 1st) | Shootout: 4th | Sprint: 5th | Race: 3rd
Charles Leclerc had quite the drive at Spa, and while finishing over half a minute behind the unstoppable Verstappen and his rocket might not feel like a victory, he definitely had some shining moments. Qualifying second and taking the lead due to Verstappen’s penalties was a promising beginning, although there was simply no defending against the mighty Red Bulls come race days. The weekend turned out to be one of his most solid performances this year.
A small error in the Shootout saw Charles lose out on a front-row start, and being bogged down in the pits meant he and teammate Sainz lost positions in the Sprint Race. Nonetheless, a P6 finish at the flag was respectable and he managed to swipe an extra point after Hamilton’s penalty.
Race day saw him climb his way back to the podium, even though fuel-saving left him vulnerable near the end, he impressively fended off Hamilton to secure his third trophy of the year. Thankfully, there were no gigantic strategy nightmares to deal with this time around, which is another point in favour of the Italian team, as they certainly have been struggling with that in recent rounds.
Ferrari still has work to do to stay ahead of the fierce competition from McLaren, Mercedes, and Aston Martin. However, on Leclerc’s side of the garage, they can take pride in achieving the best possible result for this challenging weekend at Spa.
Yuki Tsunoda – Qualifying: 11th | Shootout: 16th | Sprint: 18th | Race: 10th
Yuki Tsunoda had a mixed bag at Spa, with Saturday’s performance not being very impressive, but Sunday brought a significant improvement! It was a day worth celebrating as Yuki bagged his first points since April. This marks the third time this year that he managed to score points, a notable achievement considering the Alpha Tauri has been labelled as one of the slowest cars on the grid in 2023.
During the race, there was a glimpse of a shot at even better results, which in the end wasn’t meant to be, but Yuki valiantly held off Pierre Gasly to secure 10th place and take that precious point back home. Yuki can thank his aggressive start on the medium tyres to run as high as 6th for securing his result.
Oscar Piastri – Qualifying: 6th (started 5th) | Shootout: 2nd | Sprint: 2nd | Race: DNF
On Sunday, Oscar Piastri’s race finished soon after starting, but we can’t put all the blame on the Aussie for that. It certainly was more of a first-lap incident as he got squeezed by Carlos Sainz at the infamous La Source after a move which perhaps was a bit too optimistically attempted by Oscar himself.
No, the reason he is on the top of this list is because of his performances earlier in the week. So, let’s talk about his magical Saturday! Piastri had a stellar performance in the shootout, securing himself a spot on the front row. And he didn’t stop there, as he translated that same stellar form into the sprint race.
We have to give him credit for even managing to lead the sprint race for a brief moment. It’s no wonder people are hailing him as the next big thing in Formula 1. Though I’d caution against putting too much pressure or expectation on the young lad, as you’re only ever as good as your last race, but he’s certainly one to watch in the races to come!
Then for an honourable mention…
Pierre Gasly deserves an honourable mention after securing P3 in the Saturday Sprint, comfortably holding the fort against Perez and Hamilton for much of the race after starting P6. His Sunday wasn’t worth mentioning in terms of results, but he gets extra kudos for a 28-lap first stint on soft tyres which helped him recover from a disappointing quali.
It’s been a pretty tough 2023 for Pierre as well as Alpine (more on that below), but signing off for summer with a strong result on Saturday and having the edge over Ocon during the whole weekend will certainly have Gasly smiling.
Struggle Bus:
Alpine
Alpine is finding itself in a bit of a pickle, and it’s not just because of their performance on the race weekend. It’s more about the clear lack of confidence in their own management. The departures of Szafnauer, Permane, and Fry all happened in rapid succession during this last round just before the summer break, with some getting the boot and others opting to jump ship to another team.
It didn’t start and certainly won’t end there – the Alpine CEO, Laurent Rossi, has been replaced earlier, and other lesser-known figures of the team are leaving or being shown the door. All of this chaos doesn’t bode well for Alpine’s overall project. It’s like they’re stuck in a cycle of stagnation and continuous resets. What’s concerning is that the ‘new’ key figures lack F1 experience, and the team is suffering from a lack of continuity.
All in all, it’s a bit of a mess for Alpine, and they’ve got a lot of work to do to get things back on track. Let’s hope they can find some stability and start making some positive strides in the right direction.
Carlos Sainz – Qualifying: 5th (started 4th) | Shootout: 3rd | Sprint: 4th | Race: DNF
Carlos Sainz’s run at the Belgian Grand Prix was a bit all over the place. While his teammate Leclerc was shining at the top of this list, Carlos finds himself riding the struggle bus.
Let’s start with the positives – he had a strong showing in the sprint race, putting on a good performance. But come Sunday, when the big points were up for grabs, he wasn’t in the picture. Unfortunately, his race came to a premature end after a collision with Piastri in the very first corner of the first lap.
The team tried to make it work for a bit, but eventually, they had to call it a day. The decision to keep him out for so long seemed questionable, especially when he was at the back of the pack so early on. It felt like a waste of engine mileage for a race that wasn’t going his way.
To make matters worse, Sainz seemed quick to place the blame on Piastri for the incident, which didn’t sit well with some fans. Piastri had been having a good weekend until then, and many were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt in what looked like a racing incident.
Interestingly, Max Verstappen made a similar move as Piastri did at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix in the past, getting squeezed by Kimi Raikkonen when he was still with Ferrari. So maybe it’s just a favourite way in which Ferrari drivers like to have incidents at Spa… Who knows?
Williams
Alex Albon – Qualifying: 16th (started 15th) | Shootout: 12th | Sprint: 12th | Race: 14th
Logan Sargeant – Qualifying: 18th | Shootout: 13th | Sprint: 16th | Race: 17th
Williams had a challenging time at the Belgian Grand Prix, and the rain on Saturday certainly didn’t make things any easier. Albon was hoping for a dry race on Sunday, which they ultimately did get (mostly), but it didn’t field the results they were hoping for.
There were a few moments on Sunday which gave fans a glimmer of hope, especially when it came to undercut strategies while going for pitstops. However, their rivals proved to be too strong, and they were unable to hold them off. It was a painful reality check for Williams, especially after they had hoped to be in contention for points. Although it had to be said that Logan’s little spin and penalty for speeding in the pitlane certainly didn’t help matters.
The FW45 showed impressive straight-line speed, but the tyre degradation, overheating issues, and lack of downforce meant that Williams struggled throughout the entire weekend. In other tracks like Silverstone or Montreal, Albon could at least find some breathing room to manage the tyres, but it was a different story in Belgium.
Then for dishonourable mentions…
Alfa Romeo had a disappointing outing at Spa, continuing their streak of races without scoring any points.
As for Haas, they continue to struggle with reliability and strategy as both KMAG and Nico were left scrambling to set laps in both Friday’s qualifying and the Saturday sprint shootout. While they may show some potential in one-lap pace, their race results on Sunday continued to be disappointing.
With the summer break now in sight, the teams have a chance to recharge and regroup. But you won’t be deprived long, as round 14 is just around the corner. At the end of the month, teams and drivers will reunite in the dunes of Zandvoort. There the show will be getting back on the road once more under an orange sky, thanks to the orange army and their flares.
