Autosport Podcast: F1 Belgian Grand Prix Review
Max Verstappen charged to Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix victory despite starting at the back due to a grid penalty, while misfortune and poor calls hampered Charles Leclerc once again.
The reigning F1 world champion started 14th on the grid but carved his way to a dominant victory in a Red Bull 1-2 with Sergio Perez as the runner-up.
Leclerc, who also started at the back end of the grid due to an engine penalty, endured a tough start when one of Verstappen’s visor tear offs was caught in Leclerc’s front-right brake duct which forced him into an early pitstop to stop the brake overheating.
The Ferrari driver eventually climbed up to fifth place but a misjudged late pitstop to target the fastest lap bonus point backfired as he was caught speeding in the pitlane and duly picked up a five-second penalty, which dropped him behind Fernando Alonso to sixth in the final results. Leclerc also missed out on the fastest lap.
To discuss the Belgian GP, host Martyn Lee is joined by Luke Smith at Spa-Francorchamps plus Jess McFadyen and Haydn Cobb to pick apart the key talking points as F1 returned from its summer break.
You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or via all good audio platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.
Video evidence shows it was Verstappen’s tear off in Leclerc’s brake duct
How Verstappen scored the best win of his F1 career and furthered Leclerc’s downfall
Why Albon won't be "throwing around laptops" to gain a 2023 F1 edge
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Why Alfa Romeo has kept its blade roll hoop on 2023 F1 car
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Fenestraz risked 'finishing on three wheels' with Diriyah FE pass on Mortara
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Why Albon won't be "throwing around laptops" to gain a 2023 F1 edge
OPINION: At the Williams 2023 Formula 1 season launch, Alex Albon’s easy-going nature was again a point of focus. But does being “too nice” really matter in modern F1? Albon’s own expressions put that in an intriguing new light
How the last Sauber-built Alfa offers F1 2023 evolution clues
Alfa Romeo has become the first Formula 1 team to reveal a new car for 2023, in addition to a fresh livery. This offered a first look at some of the understated changes produced by the revised regulations, along with points of convergence in the second year of the ground effect rules
The pioneering F1 car that preceded Lotus’s terminal decline
In the hands of Ayrton Senna the actively suspended 99T would be the last F1 race-winning Lotus but, as STUART CODLING reveals, it was a complicated machine that caused more problems than it solved
How Tyrrell became a racing Rubik’s cube as it faded out of F1
Formula 1’s transformation into a global sport meant the gradual extinction for a small team determined to stay true to its low-budget roots. But Tyrrell would eventually be reborn as a world-beating outfit again, explains MAURICE HAMILTON, albeit in different colours…
Assessing Hamilton's remarkable decade as a Mercedes F1 driver
Many doubted Lewis Hamilton’s move from McLaren to Mercedes for the 2013 Formula 1 season. But the journey he’s been on since has taken the Briton to new heights - and to a further six world championship titles
Why new look Haas is a litmus test for Formula 1’s new era
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The Mercedes F1 pressure changes under 10 years of Toto Wolff
OPINION: Although the central building blocks for Mercedes’ recent, long-lasting Formula 1 success were installed before he joined the team, Toto Wolff has been instrumental in ensuring it maximised its finally-realised potential after years of underachievement. The 10-year anniversary of Wolff joining Mercedes marks the perfect time to assess his work
The all-French F1 partnership that Ocon and Gasly hope to emulate
Alpine’s signing of Pierre Gasly alongside Esteban Ocon revives memories of a famous all-French line-up, albeit in the red of Ferrari, for BEN EDWARDS. Can the former AlphaTauri man's arrival help the French team on its path back to winning ways in a tribute act to the Prancing Horse's title-winning 1983?
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