Formula 1 is nearly ready to go racing again after a short summer break, with Max Verstappen having one hand on the drivers’ title heading into the second half of the campaign.
Back-to-back victories for the Dutchman before the mid-season recess saw him extend his drivers’ championship lead at the top of the table to 80 points with nine races to go.
The reigning champion’s superb win from tenth on the grid in Hungary has also pushed Red Bull 97 points clear in the constructors’ standings, piling the pressure on a faltering Ferrari outfit.
A catalogue of mechanical and strategic errors from the Scuderia appears to have handed Red Bull the title. Still, after some time to clear their heads, a Ferrari fightback could get underway at historically one of their favourite tracks.
Leclerc chasing Belgium bounty
The Italians have taken the chequered flag 14 times at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps, which has received an €80m facelift despite this potentially being its final F1 appearance.
Charles Leclerc was the last Ferrari driver to win in Belgium in 2019 and is in desperate need of a repeat result, having managed just one podium finish in his previous eight races.
For a driver with seven pole positions to his name, Leclerc can count himself unlucky to not have more points to his name, especially given Ferrari have a car equal, if not better, than Red Bull.
The improvements made by the Maranello-based outfit have largely negated Red Bull’s previous straight-line speed advantage, and there shouldn’t be much between the duo around the power-hungry Spa circuit.
Verstappen hoping to be signing in the rain again
Whether we see Red Bull and Ferrari go flat out and engage in another thrilling battle could depend on the weather.
Showers are forecast for all three days of action in Belgium, bringing back bad memories of last year’s washout race, which lasted two laps and was won by Verstappen, who is the favourite to win this year’s edition.
The world champion’s tainted 2021 victory kept up Red Bull’s impressive record of having at least one car on the podium in 11 of the last 13 years.
Mercedes in the mix
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Red Bull will expect to maintain that record of top-three finishes, but both they and Ferrari face the added complication of a rejuvenated Mercedes team.
The Silver Arrows signed off for the summer on a high with back-to-back double podium finishes, coupled with a first pole position of the season from George Russell at Hungary.
The Brackley-based outfit have made steady improvements since a poor start to the year and are looking to kick on in the second half of the season, with Lewis Hamilton now having a realistic chance of continuing his streak of at least one win in every year he’s been in F1.
Mercedes expect to be even closer to the top two in Belgium, courtesy of new technical regulations introduced for the final nine races relating to porpoising or bouncing, believing they will hinder the advantage Ferrari and Red Bull previously enjoyed in that regard.
Prediction
The improvements made by the Silver Arrows and incoming rule changes muddy the waters when it comes to the fight for first, but if Ferrari can stop shooting themselves in the foot, they look the class of the field.
Leclerc hasn’t always handled the pressure well this season, but with the drivers’ title now an unrealistic goal, he could race with a bit more freedom at the scene of his maiden win in Formula 1.
Source:livescore.com