Wikipedia

2018 Belgian Grand Prix

The 2018 Belgian Grand Prix (formally the Formula 1 2018 Johnnie Walker Belgian Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on 26 August 2018 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot, Belgium.[2] The race was the thirteenth round of the 2018 Formula One World Championship and marked the 74th running of the Belgian Grand Prix and the 61st time the race was held at Spa-Francorchamps and 51st time as a round of the World Championship.

2018 Belgian Grand Prix
Race 13 of 21 in the 2018 Formula One World Championship
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Layout of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit
Layout of the Spa-Francorchamps circuit
Race details[1]
Date 26 August 2018
Official name Formula 1 2018 Johnnie Walker Belgian Grand Prix
Location Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Stavelot, Belgium
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 7.004 km (4.352 miles)
Distance 44 laps, 308.052 km (191.415 miles)
Weather Cloudy
Pole position
Driver
Mercedes
Time 1:58.179
Fastest lap
Driver Finland Valtteri Bottas Mercedes
Time 1:46.286 on lap 32 (lap record)
Podium
First
Ferrari
Second
Mercedes
Third
Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer
Lap leaders

The race was won by Scuderia Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel ahead of Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen. The victory moved Vettel ahead of Alain Prost in all-time career Formula One victories and would be his last win for over a year until the 2019 Singapore Grand Prix.

Report edit

Background edit

After going into administration during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, Force India arrived in Belgium under new ownership. A consortium led by Lawrence Stroll purchased the racing assets and operations of Force India through a company named Racing Point UK Ltd.[3] The original team, Sahara Force India, was excluded from the Constructors' Championship due to their inability to participate in the remaining races, allowing the new team known as Racing Point Force India to apply for a late entry and start their participation in the championship in Belgium.[4]

Championship standings before the race edit

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton entered the round with a 24-point lead over Sebastian Vettel in the Drivers' Championship. In the World Constructors' Championship, Mercedes led Ferrari by 10 points.[5]

Practice edit

McLaren reserve driver Lando Norris made his first appearance at a Grand Prix weekend, replacing Fernando Alonso during the first practice session.[6]

Race edit

The race was won by Scuderia Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel ahead of Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen. With the win Vettel took his 52nd and overtook Alain Prost for third in the ranking of drivers with the most Formula One wins.[citation needed] The race featured a first lap crash involving Fernando Alonso, Nico Hülkenberg, and Charles Leclerc. Hülkenberg misjudged his braking before ramming into the back of Alonso, before flying over Leclerc's car and landing on the halo.[7]

After the first corner incidents, Vettel passed Hamilton on the Kemmel straight on lap 1. Hamilton tried to repass at the end of the straight, as did the two Racing Point cars of Ocon and Pérez, and they were four abreast in the braking zone, with Vettel staying ahead. Hamilton was not able to challenge Vettel again.[8]

Classification edit

Qualifying edit

Pos. No. Driver Constructor Qualifying times Final
grid
Q1 Q2 Q3
1 44   Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:42.977 1:41.553 1:58.179 1
2 5   Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:43.035 1:41.501 1:58.905 2
3 31   Esteban Ocon Force India-Mercedes[note 1] 1:44.003 1:43.302 2:01.851 3
4 11   Sergio Pérez Force India-Mercedes[note 1] 1:44.004 1:43.014 2:01.894 4
5 8   Romain Grosjean Haas-Ferrari 1:43.597 1:43.042 2:02.122 5
6 7   Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:42.585 1:41.533 2:02.671 6
7 33   Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer 1:43.199 1:42.554 2:02.769 7
8 3   Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer 1:43.604 1:43.126 2:02.939 8
9 20   Kevin Magnussen Haas-Ferrari 1:43.834 1:43.320 2:04.933 9
10 77   Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:42.805 1:42.191 No time 171
11 10   Pierre Gasly Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda 1:44.221 1:43.844 10
12 28   Brendon Hartley Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda 1:44.153 1:43.865 11
13 16   Charles Leclerc Sauber-Ferrari 1:43.654 1:44.062 12
14 9   Marcus Ericsson Sauber-Ferrari 1:43.846 1:44.301 13
15 27   Nico Hülkenberg Renault 1:44.145 No time 181
16 55   Carlos Sainz Jr. Renault 1:44.489 191
17 14   Fernando Alonso McLaren-Renault 1:44.917 14
18 35   Sergey Sirotkin Williams-Mercedes 1:44.998 15
19 18   Lance Stroll Williams-Mercedes 1:45.134 16
20 2   Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren-Renault 1:45.307 201
107% time: 1:49.765
Source:[9]
Notes

Race edit

Pos. No. Driver Constructor Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
1 5   Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 44 1:23:34.476 2 25
2 44   Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 44 +11.061 1 18
3 33   Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer 44 +31.372 7 15
4 77   Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 44 +1:08.6051 17 12
5 11   Sergio Pérez Force India-Mercedes[note 1] 44 +1:11.023 4 10
6 31   Esteban Ocon Force India-Mercedes[note 1] 44 +1:19.520 3 8
7 8   Romain Grosjean Haas-Ferrari 44 +1:25.953 5 6
8 20   Kevin Magnussen Haas-Ferrari 44 +1:27.639 9 4
9 10   Pierre Gasly Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda 44 +1:45.892 10 2
10 9   Marcus Ericsson Sauber-Ferrari 43 +1 lap 13 1
11 55   Carlos Sainz Jr. Renault 43 +1 lap 19
12 35   Sergey Sirotkin Williams-Mercedes 43 +1 lap 15
13 18   Lance Stroll Williams-Mercedes 43 +1 lap 16
14 28   Brendon Hartley Scuderia Toro Rosso-Honda 43 +1 lap 11
15 2   Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren-Renault 43 +1 lap 20
Ret 3   Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer 31 Collision damage 8
Ret 7   Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 9 Collision damage 6
Ret 16   Charles Leclerc Sauber-Ferrari 0 Collision 12
Ret 14   Fernando Alonso McLaren-Renault 0 Collision 14
Ret 27   Nico Hülkenberg Renault 0 Collision 18
Source:[10]
Notes

Championship standings after the race edit

  • Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ a b c d Competing as Racing Point Force India.

References edit

  1. ^ "Formula 1 2018 Johnnie Walker Belgian Grand Prix". Formula1.com. Formula One World Championship Limited. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  2. ^ "2018 Belgian Grand Prix Entry list".
  3. ^ "Force India set to exit administration". Formula1.com. Formula One World Championship Limited. 7 August 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  4. ^ "FIA approve Racing Point Force India F1 entry". Formula1.com. Formula One World Championship Limited. 23 August 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  5. ^ "Hungary 2018 - Championship • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  6. ^ "Norris to make Grand Prix weekend debut in Belgium". Formula1.com. Formula One World Championship Limited. 20 August 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2018.
  7. ^ "Vettel wins in Belgium after dramatic crash". BBC Sport.
  8. ^ "Sebastian Vettel cruises to Belgian GP victory and reduces Lewis Hamilton's championship lead". The Telegraph.
  9. ^ "Formula 1 2018 Johnnie Walker Belgian Grand Prix – Qualifying". Formula1.com. Formula One World Championship Limited. 25 August 2018. Retrieved 25 August 2018.
  10. ^ "Formula 1 2018 Johnnie Walker Belgian Grand Prix – Race Result". Formula1.com. Formula One World Championship Limited. 26 August 2018. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Belgium 2018 – Championship". StatsF1. Retrieved 13 March 2019.


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