F1 Champ Max Verstappen Surges from 14th to Win Belgian GP

Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen celebrates his victory during the podium ceremony of the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix at Spa-Francophones racetrack at Spa, on August 28, 2022. (AFP)
Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen celebrates his victory during the podium ceremony of the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix at Spa-Francophones racetrack at Spa, on August 28, 2022. (AFP)
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F1 Champ Max Verstappen Surges from 14th to Win Belgian GP

Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen celebrates his victory during the podium ceremony of the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix at Spa-Francophones racetrack at Spa, on August 28, 2022. (AFP)
Red Bull Racing's Dutch driver Max Verstappen celebrates his victory during the podium ceremony of the Belgian Formula One Grand Prix at Spa-Francophones racetrack at Spa, on August 28, 2022. (AFP)

Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen quickly carved his way through the field from 14th to win the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday and widen his lead in the title race.

Verstappen, who in the final race before F1's summer break drove from 10th to win the Hungarian Grand Prix, produced another imperious drive and moved closer to a second straight world title.

"It’s been a weekend I couldn’t have imagined before," Verstappen said. "But I think we want more of them and we’ll keep working hard."

His lead in the standings is now 93 points — but it is over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez because Charles Leclerc dropped to third in another poor Ferrari showing.

"It was quite a hectic first lap to try and stay out of trouble. So many things were happening in front of me, picked the right places to pass people, looked after our tires," Verstappen said. "Once we were in the lead, it was all about managing everything but this whole weekend has been incredible."

Verstappen was leading the race by Lap 12, and he earned a bonus point for fastest lap. His third straight win was his ninth this season and 29th overall.

"Amazing Sunday guys, haha!" Verstappen said on his radio after crossing the line.

"Max you have been brilliant, class of your own all weekend," team principal Christian Horner replied.

The 24-year-old Verstappen — the youngest driver to win a race when he was 18 — said it was probably the most complete drive of his career.

"If you look at the whole weekend, yes," he said. "This track just seemed to be perfect for the car."

Perez finished second to jump ahead of Leclerc in the season standings.

"It’s a great team result," Perez said.

Carlos Sainz Jr. started from pole for Ferrari and finished a disappointing third. Leclerc started 15th and finished fifth behind the Mercedes of George Russell, but Leclerc dropped to sixth after he was handed a five-second penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

That pushed Alpine driver Fernando Alonso into fifth, and Leclerc, who is now 98 points behind Verstappen in the standings, was shocked by the penalty and appeared defeated in the championship race.

"I didn’t even know, no one told me," a surprised Leclerc said of the penalty. "Why did I get the penalty?"

As for his title race with Verstappen?

"I’m not focusing so much on the championship now. Red Bull were on another planet today," Leclerc added. "We need to know why we’re so far away."

Lewis Hamilton's bid for a sixth straight podium ended on the first lap when he clipped Alonso and briefly went airborne.

Sainz started from pole because Verstappen and Leclerc were among several drivers to be hit with grid penalties. Sainz got away at the start and Russell and Hamilton zoomed past Perez and behind Alonso.

Hamilton then overtook Alonso on the outside but clipped the side of his Alpine, sending Hamilton's Mercedes up in the air. Race stewards reviewed and took no action, though Alonso clearly felt Hamilton had not left him enough room as he tried to regain the position.

"What an idiot closing the door from the outside," Alonso ranted. "We had a mega start but this guy only knows how to drive and start in first."

Hamilton later cut off an interviewer who attempted to relay Alonso's comments to him.

"It doesn't matter what he said," said Hamilton, who added he didn't see Alonso "in my blind spot."

But in a separate interview, Hamilton accepted he hadn't left enough room for Alonso.

"It was my fault," Hamilton said. "I paid the price. I was ahead though."

For Hamilton it was the fifth time he’s retired on Lap 1, with three retirements coming at the 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) Spa-Francorchamps circuit — the longest in F1 and one of the best for overtaking, as Verstappen showed.

Seconds after Hamilton pulled over, Nicholas Latifi slid across the track and nudged the Alfa Romeo of Valtteri Bottas into the gravel, bringing out the safety car.

Hamilton stood next to his car as smoke billowed out, then walked slowly back to the team garage. He was later issued a warning for refusing to visit the medical center.

Bottas, his former Mercedes teammate, was also out while Leclerc came in early as his team changed his tires and removed some debris from another car stuck inside Leclerc’s front right wing.

Later, Ferrari made yet another bizarre call in this strange season of botched strategy decisions when the team called in Leclerc for new tires with one lap remaining in a futile bid to score the fastest lap. Leclerc was overtaken by Alonso as he came out of the pits, and then had to overtake the Spaniard back, consequently failing to register the fastest lap.

Esteban Ocon of Alpine was seventh and followed by Sebastian Vettel of Aston Martin, Pierre Gasly of AlphaTauri and Alex Albon of Williams.

Next up for Verstappen? His home race in the Netherlands, where he won in style in Zandvoort last year.

"I am going to enjoy today and then next week we'll see what we can do," said Verstappen, who is on pace to beat Vettel's season record of 13 victories set in 2013.



Maresca Says he Almost Cost Chelsea their Win over Spurs

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca celebrates at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur, in London, Britain, 03 April 2025.  EPA/DAVID CLIFF
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca celebrates at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur, in London, Britain, 03 April 2025. EPA/DAVID CLIFF
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Maresca Says he Almost Cost Chelsea their Win over Spurs

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca celebrates at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur, in London, Britain, 03 April 2025.  EPA/DAVID CLIFF
Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca celebrates at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur, in London, Britain, 03 April 2025. EPA/DAVID CLIFF

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca said he could have blown his side's chances of hanging on for a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday by making defensive changes for the dying moments, only to realize that a full 12 minutes had been added on.
"We created chances enough in the first half, and then, to be honest, it has been my mistake because I did the change before I saw the extra time," a relieved-looking Maresca told reporters, according to Reuters.
"When I saw 12 minutes, I saw that probably was too early to make that kind of change. But fortunately, we won the game, and we are happy."
With the clock ticking down, and Chelsea ahead through Enzo Fernandez's 50th-minute header, Maresca replaced attacker Cole Palmer and Fernandez with defender Tosin Adarabioyo and midfield anchor Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, packing his back line.
The change allowed Spurs to pour forward in their search for an equalizer during the long period of stoppage time, which came after two long VAR checks in the second half which ruled out goals for both sides.
Maresca was full of praise for the way his players soaked up the pressure to seal the win which gave Chelsea some fresh momentum in their hunt for a top four finish and a place in next season's Champions League.
"If you want to become a team, I think you need also to learn and to play in the way we played in the last 10 minutes: win a game in a dirty way," the Italian said.
Maresca said the return of Senegal striker Nicolas Jackson from injury had given his side more shape, thanks to his incessant pressing of the Spurs defense. "For sure, with Nico we are a different team," the manager added.
Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou said poor defending was to blame for Chelsea's goal and he was critical of how VAR ruled out what he thought was an equalizer when substitute Pape Sarr beat Robert Sanchez with a low drive, only for it to be ruled out for a foul by Sarr moments earlier.
The Australian downplayed suggestions from reporters that he had shown frustration at Spurs fans - some of whom had booed his substitution decisions - by cupping his ear to them when Sarr found the back of the net.
"It's incredible how things get interpreted. We'd just scored. I wanted to hear them cheer. We've been through a tough time and I thought it was a cracking goal. I wanted them to get really excited," he said.
"It doesn't bother me. It's not the first time that they've booed my substitutions. That's fine. They're allowed to do that," said Postecoglou, whose side sit a lowly 14th in the league standings.