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The 2022 Belgian Grand Prix was an action-packed, incident-marred and ultimately, dramatic contest in which Red Bull prevailed and Ferrari, not so much!
Come to Spa they said for a sizzling hot Scuderia show, they said. Alas, it may have seemed Ferrari’s party with Sainz leading the pack with the Milton Keynes outfit authoring the anticlimax that the Tifosi would have dreaded.
Anyhow, what moments stood out from Spa? SportsTiger brings you the key talking points from the 44-lap Belgian run.
1. A race to forget for Lewis
It’s not always that Lewis Hamilton scores a DNF in a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
But well, is there ever any certainty about Formula 1?
The seven time world champion began the 2022 Belgian GP from fourth on the grid and lasted only a solitary lap. Attacking Fernando Alonso for third, the Mercedes driver tucked into the inside of the Alpine succeeding only to damage the floor of his Mercedes.
A race retirement followed the four time winner at Spa Francorchamps with the somber sight of Hamilton standing by the side of his Mercedes cutting perhaps the saddest picture of the race at Belgium.
Having said that, whilst it’s been established that Alonso wasn’t really at fault, with the Briton contacting the Alpine very early on in the race, would Lewis serve a penalty?
Likely? Unlikely? Who knows. What’s known is that Hamilton won’t be sleeping a happy man tonight and would come back stronger.
2. A great result for Alpine
Fernando Alonso started his Belgian contest from third on the grid and bagged a sixth. El Niño might not be the happiest man around. But again, finishing ahead of a teammate almost half his age wouldn’t have sucked. Right?
Meanwhile, Esteban Ocon, who began from sixteenth on the grid captured a valiant seventh.
In the end, the Otmar Szafnauer-led side collected fourteen points from the sterling venue at the heart of the Ardennes.
For a team that’s competitively fighting the likes of Alpha Tauri and McLaren for supremacy on the Constructor standings, it could be said, Alpine leave Belgium with a broad grin- don’t they?
3. The Red Bull resilience
How often does it happen that one sees Max Verstappen out of contention for victory in Formula 1 nowadays. Not really, isn’t it?
Starting from fourteenth on the grid, the Dutchman who also won at Spa last year if that event could even be called a Grand Prix did a repeat performance this time around.
The only difference, however, was that this time around, Verstappen’s challenge was a menacing one. The defending world champion had to fight his way back from the backend of the field and fight for track position, something he did with usual gusto and unquestionable focus.
In so doing, Verstappen also collected his ninth win of 2022 and given his menacing form, it doesn’t seem very likely that any other driver can now dethrone the “Mad Max” of the sport.
That said, Perez’s P2 wasn’t a bad result either. The man often described as the “Minister of Defence” of F1 bagged a fighting second in the end. But that wasn’t after losing some places to others on the grid including a temporarily conceding the battle for the top three to Mercedes’ George Russell.
A top result in the end for the Christian Horner side who continue to dominate the proceedings in Motorsport’s top flight.
4. Forza Seb!
It’s such a shame that the sport is going to lose a great world champion in Sebastian Vettel at the end of this season.
Aston Martin’s often undervalued driver drove a commendable race at Belgium bagging no fewer than four points courtesy his P8.
In so doing, the four time world champion reminded the uninformed fan who often trolls “old” drivers of just what experience can do in the sport.
And it works wonders, does it not? Not that the generation that often depends on emojis to communicate and remains obsessed in a consumerist culture would agree to the value that the old guards still bring to Formula 1.