Max Verstappen passed Oscar Piastri to win the F1 Belgian GP sprint win in drying conditions, with Pierre Gasly ending up third.

It was a delayed start to F1 Belgian GP sprint race due to rain just when it was originally to start. After a lengthy stoppage, they went for a formation lap behind the safety car which they converted into full laps where drivers used the full wet compounds.

Instead of a standing start, they opted for a rolling one considering drivers wishing to pit for intermediate tyres. The safety car ran for four laps which was cut from the sprint race. Once the race started, 10 cars made it in the pits while 10 decided against it.

It was Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the F1 Belgian GP sprint race lead from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, McLaren’s Lando Norris, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon, Mercedes’ George Russell, Williams’ Logan Sargeant, Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen and Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu in the Top 10.

A lap later, others pitted where McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took the F1 Belgian GP sprint race lead from Verstappen with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in third from Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in Top 5 from Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.

Leclerc slotted in seventh with Norris eighth in the points, whole AlphaTauri’s Daniel Ricciardo was ninth and Ocon 10th. As Piastri led Verstappen at the front, the safety car was deployed after a spin for Alonso when he touched the paint and kerb.

He managed to escape the barrier after he was beached in the gravel. The re-start was storming from Verstappen who cleared Piastri at the start of the Kemmel Straight to lead the F1 Belgian GP sprint race, with Gasly keeping third from Perez.

But the Mexican was struggling hugely to keep his car on road. Hamilton and he touched at one point which has been put under investigation. He eventually passed him at Turn 1 where Sainz followed and eventually Leclerc did so too at the end of Kemmel Straight.

Perez eventually had an off moment in the gravel which dropped him behind and he was forced to retire due to a suspected issue. Hamilton, meanwhile, was handed a 5s penalty for causing a collision as he chased Gasly for third.

Sainz was close behind with Leclerc fending off Norris for sixth. Russell behind climbed up to eighth after taking the final point from Ricciardo. It was easy in the end for Verstappen to win the F1 Belgian GP sprint race from Piastri and Gasly.

Hamilton ended up fourth but the penalty dropped him to seventh behind Sainz, Leclerc and Norris. The final point went to Russell, with Ricciardo and Ocon rounding the Top 10.

More to come

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