Hamilton Wins Belgian Grand Prix

Hamilton, 35, sealed his 5th victory of the year, bringing him closer to a 7th title that would equal German Michael Schumacher's record.

The British racing driver secured his 89th victory in the premier category, leaving him just two wins away from another major milestone of the 'Kaiser'. In the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit, Hamilton finished ahead of his Finnish teammate Valtteri Bottas and Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull) who took third place. The race saw Spanish driver Carlos Sainz unable to start due to an engine issue with his McLaren.

Hamilton, who set a new record for pole positions with 93 on Saturday, claimed another triumph that would have been even more impressive if it hadn't been for Australian Daniel Ricciardo (Renault) setting the fastest lap on the last of the 44 laps. However, Hamilton led from start to finish and also held the fastest lap of the day before Ricciardo's last-minute effort. This would have been his 7th 'Grand Slam' since joining Formula One but it was not to be. Nevertheless, Hamilton goes into the next race in Monza with a 47-point advantage over Verstappen and 50 points ahead of his teammate at the Brackley team.

A Tribute To Anthoine Hubert

The day began with the customary minute of silence in support of the fight against racism, followed by a more emotional tribute to French driver Anthoine Hubert who tragically lost his life at the same track last year during an F2 race. Hubert collided with Ecuadorian-American driver Juan Manuel Correa, who is still recovering from leg injuries. Despite this, Correa and Hubert's family were both present at Spa. Meanwhile, it was revealed that Sainz, who has endured a string of misfortunes this season, would not be able to start the race due to exhaust issues with his McLaren, which were later attributed to an engine failure.

A Strong Start for Mercedes

The 'Silver Arrows' (in black, to show solidarity against racism) got off to a good start. Hamilton maintained his lead, with Bottas putting up a tough fight until the fifth turn. Verstappen, however, was unable to overtake Bottas. Ricciardo, who started fourth on the grid and had the second-best time in the practice sessions on Friday, had to defend his position against Verstappen's attacks in the opening lap.

Hamilton, Bottas, and Verstappen started the race on medium compound tires, having used them in Q2 of the qualifying sessions, unlike the rest of the top ten who opted for soft tires.

Disappointing Performance for Ferrari

The race confirmed Ferrari's struggles, with the most successful team in Formula One history failing to earn any points throughout the entire weekend. Former world champion Sebastian Vettel finished in 13th place, while his teammate Charles Leclerc crossed the line just one spot ahead. As a result, Leclerc lost fourth place in the championship to Red Bull's Thai driver Alexander Albon, who finished sixth on Sunday. Ferrari will arrive at Monza, a true 'ferrarista' sanctuary, in fifth place in the constructors' championship.

Closing Remarks

Despite the lack of immediate improvement prospects, running races behind closed doors due to the pandemic may work in favor of the Maranello team, as it would be disastrous to disappoint their passionate fans once again.

'Checo' Perez, who qualified eighth and only had six cars in front of him on the grid as a result of Sainz's absence, lost positions in the opening laps. He was overtaken by his teammate, Canadian Lance Stroll, and later by Leclerc, whose initial progress turned out to be short-lived.

After the first ten of the planned 44 laps, Hamilton led by 2 seconds over Bottas and 8 seconds over Verstappen, with Ricciardo's Renault and Esteban Ocon's Renault in fourth and fifth positions, respectively.

However, Italian Antonio Giovinazzi lost control of his Alfa Romeo in the second sector, causing an accident that also involved Englishman George Russell (Williams).

Fortunately, both drivers were able to exit their cars without any major injuries. The incident resulted in many debris on the track, triggering the safety car, and leading several teams to make pit stops to switch to hard tires.

Gasly, who was already on hard compound tires, and 'Checo', who was on softs, chose not to enter the pit lane. As a result, when the race resumed on lap 15, Gasly was in fourth place and 'Checo' was in fifth.

The positions remained unchanged for the rest of the race, as there was no rain despite initial forecasts. Mercedes secured their 55th 1-2 finish in Formula One, and Hamilton only had to manage his deteriorating tires to edge closer to Schumacher, a record he is likely to surpass this season.