Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix was won by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who started 14th on the grid. With this victory, he took a giant step toward a second consecutive Formula One title.
The Dutch driver, who was fastest in qualifying but slipped down the field owing to engine and gearbox-related penalties, displayed a masterful performance by setting the best lap and defeating his Mexican teammate Sergio Perez by 17.8 seconds.
Sainz of Ferrari finished a distant third after starting on the pole.
“The car was really on rails,” said Verstappen,
“Once we were in the lead, it was all about managing everything.
“It’s been a weekend I couldn’t imagine before,” added the 24-year-old after his second successive win at Spa, although last year’s victory came after a farcical three laps splashing through the rain behind the safety car.