Key events
The Belgian national anthem has been sung by an Elton John look-alike and the excitement is building. We’re a few minutes away from the Belgian Grand Prix!
More from Russell who says that is hasn’t been easy accepting where Mercedes are now.
“It’s difficult for all of us. You go through this period, everybody is so used to winning – so many days of glory – and suddenly on the back foot. Everybody has put so much effort into this, it is a little bit demoralising sometimes.”
Verstappen spotted making his way to the grid.
How will P6 affect his finish?
Does the FIA prioritise the safety of their drivers?
George Russell believes that the F1 governing body shouldn’t second guess cancelling races in the interest of safety.
“Following recent events, the FIA have to be bold with their decisions when it comes to safety, when it comes to visibility,” he said.
“Everybody wants to race but when you are going down that straight at over 200 miles an hour and you can’t see 50 metres in front of you, there will be huge incidents.”
Read more below.
Not a great start for Nico Hulkenberg…
It’s not a good Sunday for Nico Hulkenberg so far…
He’s already starting from the pit lane after his Haas team changed car parts in parc ferme conditions
And now he’s back in the garage after reporting smoke coming from the car during his out lap#BelgianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/U2Com1Pvdd
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 30, 2023
What happened in yesterday’s sprint race? Verstappen converted pole position into victory taking the lead back from McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
The two drivers opted for pretty different strategies in wet conditions.
Catch up on how it all went down with Giles Richards’ report from Spa-Francorchamps.
Preamble
A new Grand Prix, a new winner?
Probably not.
It’s the Belgian Grand Prix, where we’ll get to watch 44 laps at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
The question on everyone’s mind before today’s race (and seemingly every other race this year) is if anyone can stop Max Verstappen’s winning streak.
The Dutchman is hoping to become the second driver in Formula One history to win eight races in a row.
The current leader of the F1 championship is sixth on the grid after a gearbox change, but last year he managed to win this race from 14th.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc sits in pole position alongside Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton in third for Mercedes.
The conditions at the track haven’t been consistent all weekend, which may make today a bit more exciting.
Currently, it’s quite dry out in Stavelot, but we’ll see if that changes.
Lights out: 2pm UK time
