Autobayng News Team
Despite challenging conditions in Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix, all 20 drivers saw the chequered flag.
It was the culmination of a sprint race event which saw a few particularly impressive performances and a handful of notably poor weekends.
Here’s RaceFans’ verdict on the full field.
Lando Norris
Sprint race start: 3rd
Sprint race finish: 3rd
Qualified: 1st (1 place ahead of team mate, -0.085s)
Grid: 1st (1 place ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: One-stop (I-H)
Finished: 2nd (1 place behind team mate)
▼ Over six-tenths of a second slower than Piastri in sprint race qualifying
▶ Lost a place to Leclerc at the start of the sprint race but regained it to take third
▲ Beat Piastri to pole for grand prix
▶ Lost lead to Piastri at the start of the grand prix
▶ Staying out a lap longer on intermediates than Piastri cost him more time
▼ Closed on Piastri on hard tyres but lost ground with several mistakes
6/10: It’s doubtful he could have passed Piastri but errors ensured he never had the chance
Oscar Piastri
Sprint race start: 1st
Sprint race finish: 2nd
Qualified: 2nd (1 place behind team mate, +0.085s)
Grid: 2nd (1 place behind team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: One-stop (I-M)
Finished: 1st (1 place ahead of team mate)
▲ Clicked with the car more quickly than Norris and comfortably took pole position for sprint race
▶ Didn’t seem like there was much he could do to stop Verstappen passing him at the start of the sprint race
▶ Came close to taking a second pole position for the grand prix
▲ Aced the rolling start to pass Norris
▶ Didn’t put a foot wrong on his way to victory
▶ Reached Q3 but set best time in Q2, 0.021s faster
8/10: Looked the quicker McLaren driver and was probably relieved to qualify second for the grand prix
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Charles Leclerc
Sprint race start: 4th
Sprint race finish: 4th
Qualified: 3rd (13 places ahead of team mate, -0.304s)
Grid: 3rd (15 places ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: One-stop (I-M)
Finished: 3rd (4 places ahead of team mate)
▲ Briefly took third in the sprint race but was always unlikely to keep Norris behind
▲ Nabbed third on the grid from Verstappen with excellent qualifying lap
▲ Resisted huge pressure from Verstappen during wet phase of race
▶ Pulled clear as track dried for superb podium finish
9/10: Consistently at the upper end of what the Ferrari looked capable of
Lewis Hamilton
Sprint race start: 18th
Sprint race finish: 15th
Qualified: 16th (13 places behind team mate, +0.304s)
Grid: 18th (15 places behind team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: One-stop (I-M)
Finished: 7th (4 places behind team mate)
▼ Made two mistakes in the first part of sprint qualifying and was eliminated
▶ Picked up a couple of places in a sprint race which saw very few changes of position
▼ Would have reached Q2 but exceeded track limits at Raidillon
▶ Started the grand prix from the pit lane following a power unit change
▲ Passed a string of cars in wet conditions
▲ Nailed the timing of his switch to slicks
▶ Spent rest of race stuck behind Albon
5/10: Redeemed himself on Sunday after two miserable days
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Max Verstappen
Sprint race start: 2nd
Sprint race finish: 1st
Qualified: 4th (3 places ahead of team mate, -0.381s)
Grid: 4th (3 places ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: One-stop (I-M)
Finished: 4th (8 places ahead of team mate)
▲ Did a fine job to split the McLarens on the sprint race grid
▲ Passed Piastri at the start and rebuffed him to win sprint race
▼ Slight error at the start of his Q3 lap cost him a place to Leclerc
▶ Couldn’t find a way past Leclerc in wet phase of race
▶ Came out of pits behind Leclerc and stayed there
8/10: Terrific in sprint race but Leclerc got the better of him in the grand prix
Yuki Tsunoda
Sprint race start: 12th
Sprint race finish: 11th
Qualified: 7th (3 places behind team mate, +0.381s)
Grid: 7th (3 places behind team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: One-stop (I-M)
Finished: 12th (8 places behind team mate)
▼ Received a reprimand for driving unnecessarily slowly in sprint race qualifying
▶ Still running older parts on his Red Bull, couldn’t break into top 10 in sprint race
▶ Once he received new floor for grand prix qualifying he reached Q3, four-tenths off Verstappen
▶ Late call to pit meant he had to spend another lap on intermediates, dropping him out of the points
▼ Passed by Bearman and Hulkenberg in final laps
▶ Reached Q3 but set best time in Q2, 0.039s faster
6/10: Looked better as he moved closer to parity on parts with Verstappen
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli
Sprint race start: 19th
Sprint race finish: 17th
Qualified: 18th (12 places behind team mate, +0.355s)
Grid: 19th (13 places behind team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (I-M-M)
Finished: 16th (11 places behind team mate)
▼ Trip through gravel in sprint race qualifying triggered a first-round elimination
▶ Made little progress in sprint race, like most drivers
▼ Failed to escape the first round again in qualifying for the grand prix
▶ Started the grand prix from the pit lane following a power unit change
▶ Second pit stop dropped him behind Ocon, where he finished
4/10: Had more confidence with higher downforce set-up on Sunday but still no pace
George Russell
Sprint race start: 13th
Sprint race finish: 12th
Qualified: 6th (12 places ahead of team mate, -0.355s)
Grid: 6th (13 places ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: One-stop (I-M)
Finished: 5th (11 places ahead of team mate)
▼ Received a reprimand for driving unnecessarily slowly in sprint race qualifying
▶ Damage from ‘gravel rash’ caused by Antonelli’s off contributed to his SQ2 exit
▶ Gained no places after the start for 12th in sprint race
▶ Got his Mercedes into Q3 but was beaten to fifth by Albon’s Williams
▲ Passed Albon at the start
▶ Didn’t have pace to catch top four
▶ Reached Q3 but set best time in Q2, 0.006s faster
7/10: Limited the damage on a tough weekend
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Lance Stroll
Sprint race start: 15th
Sprint race finish: 13th
Qualified: 20th (1 place behind team mate, +0.117s)
Grid: 16th (4 places ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: One-stop (I-M)
Finished: 14th (3 places ahead of team mate)
▼ Damaged his floor in sprint race qualifying on his way to 15th
▶ Gained one place from Alonso to finish 13th in sprint race
▼ Qualified last for the grand prix
▶ Stuck it out on a one-stop strategy to finish 14th
5/10: Slower than Alonso but managed to finish both races ahead of him
Fernando Alonso
Sprint race start: 14th
Sprint race finish: 14th
Qualified: 19th (1 place ahead of team mate, -0.117s)
Grid: 20th (4 places behind team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (I-M-M)
Finished: 17th (3 places behind team mate)
▶ Dropped one place behind his team mate at the start to finish the sprint race in 14th
▶ Dismayed to end up on the back row of the grid after set-up changes
▶ Started the grand prix from the pit lane following a power unit change and switch to a wet weather set-up
▼ Couldn’t make progress on two-stop strategy in grand prix
5/10: Strategy was a huge gamble which failed to deliver
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Franco Colapinto
Sprint race start: 20th
Sprint race finish: 19th
Qualified: 17th (4 places behind team mate, +0.222s)
Grid: 15th (2 places behind team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (I-M-M)
Finished: 19th (9 places behind team mate)
▼ Said he wasn’t comfortable with the car after just an hour’s practice and qualified 19th for the sprint race
▶ Changed his rear wing for the sprint race which meant starting from the pits
▶ Went out in the first round of qualifying again, albeit in 17th
▶ Second pit stop doomed him to finish four places lower than he started
4/10: A long way off his team mate’s level
Pierre Gasly
Sprint race start: 8th
Sprint race finish: 20th
Qualified: 13th (4 places ahead of team mate, -0.222s)
Grid: 13th (2 places ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: One-stop (I-M)
Finished: 10th (9 places ahead of team mate)
▲ Qualified an excellent eighth for the sprint race
▶ Alpine discovered a water leak on his car during a reconnaissance lap before the sprint race
▶ Couldn’t repeat his top 10 heroics in grand prix qualifying, lining up 13th
▶ Passed by Hamilton but followed him into the pits early for perfectly-timed switch to slicks
▶ Having risen to 11th, he took final point when Hulkenberg chose to make a second pit stop
8/10: Deserved his slice of luck in the grand prix after sprint race misfortune
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Esteban Ocon
Sprint race start: 5th
Sprint race finish: 5th
Qualified: 11th (1 place ahead of team mate, -0.092s)
Grid: 11th (1 place ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: One-stop (I-M)
Finished: 15th (4 places behind team mate)
▲ Took a terrific fifth on the grid for the sprint race and stayed there to the flag
▶ Chose a low-drag wing for qualifying but couldn’t reach the top 10 this time
▶ Pitted too late and team fitted old tyres, which cost him time
▶ Finished last of the one-stoppers
7/10: Excellent sprint race performance but strange pit stop error spoiled his grand prix
Oliver Bearman
Sprint race start: 7th
Sprint race finish: 7th
Qualified: 12th (1 place behind team mate, +0.092s)
Grid: 12th (1 place behind team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: One-stop (I-M)
Finished: 11th (4 places ahead of team mate)
▶ Qualified seventh for the sprint race, albeit almost three tenths of a second slower than Ocon, and finished there
▼ Opted for a higher downforce rear wing but made a mistake at the start of his final flying lap after Tsunoda passed him
▶ Engine problem around pit stop cost him several places
▶ Passed Tsunoda to finish 11th yet again
6/10: Good pace in both races but could have qualified better
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Isack Hadjar
Sprint race start: 9th
Sprint race finish: 8th
Qualified: 8th (1 place ahead of team mate, -0.018s)
Grid: 8th (1 place ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (I-M-H)
Finished: 20th (12 places behind team mate)
▲ Got through to the last round of sprint race qualifying and picked up a point in the race
▲ Took a strong eighth for the grand prix
▶ Dropped back swiftly with unspecified problem which caused poor straight-line speed
▶ Finished last
▶ Reached Q3 but set best time in Q2, 0.029s faster
8/10: On course for an excellent weekend when misfortune struck
Liam Lawson
Sprint race start: 11th
Sprint race finish: 10th
Qualified: 9th (1 place behind team mate, +0.018s)
Grid: 9th (1 place behind team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: One-stop (I-M)
Finished: 8th (12 places ahead of team mate)
▼ Error at chicane cost him in a place in the top 10 in sprint race qualifying
▲ Almost matched Hadjar with his Q3 run
▶ Well-timed pit stop kept him in the points places
▶ Looked after tyres well to keep Bortoleto behind
▶ Reached Q3 but set best time in Q2, 0.031s faster
7/10: Solid but didn’t look like beating Hadjar on pure pace
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Alexander Albon
Sprint race start: 16th
Sprint race finish: 16th
Qualified: 5th (10 places ahead of team mate, -0.253s)
Grid: 5th (12 places ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: One-stop (I-M)
Finished: 6th (12 places ahead of team mate)
▶ Power unit problem put him out in the first round of sprint race qualifying
▲ Wielded his repaired car to brilliant effect to qualify fifth for the grand prix
▶ Russell slipstreamed past him at the start
▶ Kept Hamilton at bay for excellent sixth
8/10: Bounced back superbly after frustrating start to weekend
Carlos Sainz Jnr
Sprint race start: 6th
Sprint race finish: 6th
Qualified: 15th (10 places behind team mate, +0.253s)
Grid: 17th (12 places behind team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (I-M-H)
Finished: 18th (12 places behind team mate)
▶ Missed half of practice due to a loss of fuel pressure
▲ Qualified a fine sixth for the sprint race and converted it in the race
▼ Couldn’t match his lap time in Q2 and was eliminated
▶ Started the grand prix from the pit lane following a rear wing change
▶ Poor pit stop cost him more time in race
▶ Another driver who opted for a wet weather set-up only to regret it
▶ Reached Q2 but set best time in Q1, 0.067s faster
6/10: Unlucky in grand prix but qualifying was again his undoing
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Nico Hulkenberg
Sprint race start: 17th
Sprint race finish: 18th
Qualified: 14th (4 places behind team mate, +0.371s)
Grid: 14th (4 places behind team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: Two-stop (I-M-M)
Finished: 13th (4 places behind team mate)
▼ Went out in the first round of sprint race qualifying while his team mate reached the top 10
▶ Qualified slightly better for the grand prix in 14th
▲ Timed his first pit stop well again to move into points
▶ Waved faster team mate by when asked to
▶ Made second pit stop with 11 laps to go which dropped him out of top 10
6/10: Baffling second pit stop forfeited shot at final points place
Gabriel Bortoleto
Sprint race start: 10th
Sprint race finish: 9th
Qualified: 10th (4 places ahead of team mate, -0.371s)
Grid: 10th (4 places ahead of team mate)
Start: Held position
Strategy: One-stop (I-M)
Finished: 9th (4 places ahead of team mate)
▲ Left Hulkenberg behind in the first round of sprint race qualifying and took 10th on the grid
▶ Pressed Hadjar for the final point but couldn’t take it
▲ Qualified 10th again for the grand prix, gaining a Q2 spot from Hamilton’s lap time deletion
▶ Allowed past Hulkenberg when he caught him
▶ Didn’t have the pace to attack Lawson
▶ Reached Q3 but set best time in Q2, 1.051s faster
9/10: Impressive performance against a much more experienced team mate in difficult conditions
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Over to you
Vote for the driver who impressed you most last weekend and find out whether other RaceFans share your view here:
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