(Motorsport) Despite starting the race from 14th after incurring a grid penalty due to engine replacements, reigning champion Max Verstappen sealed a sensational victory at the Belgian Grand Prix. The result meant that Verstappen has now extended his lead in the Drivers Championship to 93 points while Red Bull Racing have a 97 point advantage over Ferrari in the Constructors Standings. Pole sitter Carlos Sainz from Scuderia Ferrari finished third ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell while Charles Leclerc finished in sixth place behind Alpine’s Fernando Alonso after also incurring a grid penalty at the start of the race followed by a pit lane speeding penalty.

Speaking after the race, Max Verstappen said “It's always difficult to say, but I'm just enjoying the moment. I think also everyone in the team, we are having a good time, but we are also very focused on what we want to achieve. At the moment we are achieving that, but we always want more." The Dutchman has won nine out of the 14 races so far and posted the fastest time during qualifying well in advance and decided not to go for a second run. Red Bull team principal Christian Horner described the weekend as one of the best in Red Bull’s history. He said “That's one of our biggest ever team performances. I never expected Max to win that race, and particularly get to the front so quickly. 

"With Checo right there as well, fastest lap, one-two finish, it couldn't have been better of us today. It was one of those weekends where we were just right in the window with our car and everything worked beautifully. Max has been exemplary and Checo doing absolutely everything asked of him. An amazing performance, absolutely right up there with our very best that we achieved back in 2010. Amazing performance by Max. He wasn't greedy at the start. He was very patient and he just picked his way through it." 

Meanwhile, things are looking bleak for Ferrari as Charles Leclerc admitted that catching up with Verstappen will be “very difficult”. The Monegasque driver went in for a late pit stop as Ferrari looked to get a point for the fastest lap but was handed a five second penalty for speeding in the pit lane, forcing him to finish in sixth place behind Fernando Alonso. Speaking after the race, Leclerc said “After the start I was quite hopeful, then we had the tear-off in the brake so we had to stop and start everything again. Then I knew it was going to be a difficult race from that moment onward. The pitlane is not bad luck, it's just my fault – it's a mistake and that's it. On the other hand, we were just not quick enough which is the problem more than anything. We need to work on that.

“It starts to look very difficult, especially with the pace [Red Bull] have shown this weekend. But I will get my head down, try to focus race by race and give it my best. Again, it starts to look very difficult [in terms of still being in the championship fight], but I will try my best” added Leclerc. Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto defended his team’s strategy by saying “Some are unhappy because we were coming here hoping for a better result but we have as well today to accept that Red Bull are faster than us and have been slightly faster in Hungary so now it is a couple of races where they are faster. We have to focus on ourselves, try and look for our weaknesses and push for developments. Not just for this season but for the next one as well.”

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