Max Verstappen cruises to Belgian GP win despite grid penalty – as ...

Now I am off. Peace and love!

1. Verstappen (Red Bull) 314

2. Pérez (Red Bull) 189

3. Alonso (Aston Martin) 149

4. Hamilton (Mercedes) 148

5. Leclerc (Ferrari) 99

6. Russell (Mercedes) 99

7. Sainz Jr (Ferrari) 92

8. Norris (McLaren) 69

9. Stroll (Aston Martin) 47

10. Ocon (Alpine) 35

Ignore that, driver standings coming…

Otherwise, though, here’s Giles Richards’ race report; thanks for your company, and enjoy what’s left of the weekend. Ta-ra!

Verstappen – or Verstappz as I like to think he’s known in the paddock – raises yet another trophy, and who can possibly beat him when we return just under a month from now for his home race at Circuit Zandvoort? I’ll leave that one to sit with you, no need for an immediate answer.

Anthem time, Verstappen enjoying the moment. It doesn’t seem like he’s getting bored of trouncing the field every week.

Other fun:

Verstappen says P6 was a new spot, but knew he had a great car and it was just about surviving turn one. He made sure to stay out of trouble then, once he was out of a DRS train, could do his thing.

1. Verstappen (Red Bull)

2. Pérez (Red Bull)

3. Leclerc (Ferrari)

4. Hamilton (Mercedes)

5. Alonso (Aston Martin)

6. Russell (Mercedes)

7. Norris (McLaren)

8. Ocon (Alpine)

9. Stroll (Aston Martin)

10. Tsunoda (AlphaTauri)

11. Gasly (Alpine)

12. Bottas (Alfa Romeo)

13. Zhou (Alfa Romeo)

14. Albon (Williams)

15. Magnussen (Haas)

16. Ricciardo (AlphaTauri)

17. Sargeant (Williams)

18. Hulkenberg (Haas)

    DNF Sainz Jr (Ferrari) and Piastri (McLaren)

Red Bull extend their record to 13 straight wins and counting, also setting a new mark, 12, from the start of a season. Oh, but Hamilton nicks a point off Verstappen, setting the fastest lap on his new rims, so not quite the perfect weekend for the champ.

It’s a hat-trick of wins for Verstappen; Perez gives Red Bull the one-two, and Leclerc is third.

Lap 44/44 1:48.09 is the time Hamilton needs to beat as Tsunoda attacks Stroll looking to pinch P9. Verstappen, meanwhile, cruises inexorably on.

Lap 43/44 No further inroads from Hamilton, who accepts defeat in that aspect and pits, using his big cushion over Alonso in fifth, to try and skank the fastest lap time point off Verstappen on the final go-around.

Lap 42/44 Leclerc lost a second to Hamilton on the last lap, the gap between them 2.5s or so. We don’t yet know if the Ferrari has a problem or if there was just a traffic issue but this would be a colossal podium for both driver ands team.

Lap 41/44 We see Albon go past Hulkenberg into 15th and Ocon send Stroll to ninth; Verstappen’s lead is almost 20s now.

Lap 40/44 Verstappen has won this race the last two years, once from pole and once from way back; today he’s winning it from sixth, and with disquieting ease. Dominant champions are often beneficial for sport, individual sports especially, but the problem with F1 is that it’s not just about getting as good as a particular driver but having a car good enough to challenge him. And right now, that looks a long way away.

Lap 39/44 Leclerc extends his lead over Hamilton to almost over three seconds, and will feel fairly safe in third, I think; at the other end, Zhou does well to take out Ricciardo to make 15th.

Lap 38/44 Hamilton closes the gap a little, then Ocon ducks inside Tsunoda and goes by! Tsunoda was getting ready to attack Stroll in eighth, but now look!

1. Verstappen

2. Perez

3. Leclerc

4. Hamilton

5. Alonso

6. Russell

7. Norris

8. Stroll

9. Ocon

10. Tsunoda

11. Gasly

12. Bottas

Lap 37/44 Verstappen leads by 14.061s and it just doesn’t seem to matter where he begins a race; he knows he’ll win and so does everyone else. Hamilton is now 2.765s behind Leclerc, and I’ll be surprised if he finds the pace to podium.

Lap 36/44 Albon makes his third stop and comes out 17th; Hamilton is warned not to be too careful and drop more than 2.5s behind Leclerc, so he can have a hack at him on the final lap.

Lap 35/44 Who do we think is the better now, Hamilton or Verstappen? Forget the cars for a second, has the younger man overtaking the old master as a pure driver? He’s got all the chutzpah Hamilton has and his control of his vehicle is impeccable.

Lap 34/44 Verstappen is “asked” by Christian Horner to look after tyres that are showing signs of degradation; he’ll make it to the end on them if he’s careful, whereas a stop with hand Perez a sniff. OK, a snifflet. Verstappen, of course, has his own ideas, suggesting he push on them come in for some “pit-stop training”; “not this time” comes back the response.

Lap 33/44 Albon attacks Gasly, Gasly repels him … briefly, Albon going again, then Gasly goes back in front, holds Albon off by the chicane, and he’s looking good in 11th now.

Lap 32/44 The top four look immovable now, but in fifth, Russell might have a hack at Alonso – if his tyres hold out. In front, Verstappen might fancy attacking Hulkenberg’s fastest lap time, because of course he badly needs the extra point it yields … ahahahaha, and there it is! He is quite good!

Lap 31/44 Russell is 1.1202s behind Alonso, though he might need to pit again; Verstappen comes in, takes his new softs, and emerges 9.275s ahead. Leclerc, meanwhile, looks good to preserve his podium, extending his lead over Hamilton to 2.703s.

Lap 30/44 Perez comes in and Verstappen forges on; the extent of his superiority is quite something. He leads by 27.644s and will be in next time round.

Lap 29/44 Reacting to Hamilton’s stop, Leclerc does likewise; Hamilton takes out Alonso, and is just 0.864s behind the Ferrari now.

Lap 28/44 Hulkenberg, in 15th, sets a fastest lap, as Hamilton, struggling with his tyres, comes in and exits 2.865s behind Alonso, having dropped from fourth to fifth. He’s on softs now, and will need to make the most of any advantage they give him before the lads in front pit themselves.

Lap 27/44 Verstappen is told to deploy his usual race management, preserving his tyres to well he might get away with stopping just once. The extent of his superiority is quite something, and I’d love to see him and Hamilton in the same car, no team orders. Hamilton, though, has more pressing worries, losing time to Leclerc on every lap now.

Lap 26/44 Leclerc is now pulling away from Hamilton, extending his lead to 3.008s while, at the front, Verstappen leads Perez by 7.096s. For the second race in a row we’re barely thinking about him, so complete is his dominance.

Lap 25/44 It’s been coming – I guess he was hiping for a downpour, a red flag, and the chance to have work done on his car – but with no such luck, Sainz retires. In sixth, Tsunoda makes his second stop and, given how far these still have to drive, I wonder if we see some coming in thrice. Back on the track, Russell blazes by Norris into eighth, and I imagine he’ll soon be at Hulkenberg in seventh.

Lap 24/44 Norris, having pitted, is back up to 13th having passed Zhou, while the rain dribbles to a near-halt, blue sky moving it along. Gasly, meanwhile, pits – the last in the field so to do – and Hamilton os closing in on Leclrec, the difference between them now 2.412s.

Lap 23/44 Russell comes in and changes to softs, emerging in 15th place, while Tsunoda nails Gasly to assume sixth place. There’s a lot going on behind Alonso in fifth, but the top four looks pretty settled.

Lap 22/44 Verstappen stretches his lead over Perez to over four seconds as the skies brighten. I don’t think anyone will want to pit for the rain now, as it looks like it’s going though is still pretty heavy.

Lap 21/44 Hamilton isn’t making much impression on Leclerc, 3.158 behind him, and Verstappen tells his team it’s raining “a lot”. Stroll finally pits and a poor job means he emerges in 18th, but on fresh softs, he’s a fighting chance of moving up the field quickly.

Lap 20/44 It’s raining now, and if it’s a heavy shower, we might get a red flag and a free tyre-change for everyone. Meantime, though, Stroll’s struggles continue, Tsunoda moving by him into eighth before attacking Gasly in seventh!

1. Verstappen

2. Perez

3. Leclerc

4. Hamilton

5. Alonso

6. Russell

7. Gasly

8. Tsunoda

9. Stroll

10. Ocon

Lap 19/44 The rain is almost with us and it might be heavy; Stroll, Russell and Gasly will like the sound of that, having not yet pitted. The shower shoild last about 10 minutes. Oh, and Stroll, struggling on the tyres he’s not yet changed, is passed by Gasly and now has Tsunoda on his tail.