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Max Verstappen overcame Oscar Piastri to win Formula One’s sprint race at the Belgian Grand Prix. Pole-sitter Verstappen fell behind Piastri after the Australian moved from wet tyres to intermediate rubber a lap earlier before blasting back into the lead at the midway stage of a frantic rain-hit dash at Spa-Francorchamps. Rookie Piastri finished runner-up with Pierre Gasly a surprise third for Alpine. Lewis Hamilton finished fourth but was hit with a five-second penalty for colliding with Sergio Perez, dropping him to seventh. Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc were promoted to fourth and fifth respectively for Ferrari with McLaren’s Lando Norris sixth. George Russell took the final point in eighth. Perez was forced to retire from the race allowing Verstappen to extend his championship lead from 110 points to 118 ahead of tomorrow’s 44-lap Grand Prix. Six minutes before the race was due to get under way, the FIA announced the start would be postponed following heavy rainfall in the area. A 30-minute delay followed before a rainbow emerged over Spa-Francorchamps and the weather improved. At 5:35pm local time, the Safety Car led Verstappen et al on five formation laps in an attempt to clear the spray and aid the drivers with visibility. FIA race director Niels Wittich’s decision over when to enable the start of the race was heightened following the death of 18-year-old Dilano Van ‘t Hoff at a rain-hit Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA) race four weeks ago. The safety car peeled in, paving the way for a rolling start and a shortened 11-lap dash to the chequered flag. But, before a proper racing lap had even taken place, half of the 20-strong field came into the pits to change from the full wets to the intermediate tyre. Among them was Piastri, Perez and Hamilton with Verstappen staying out on track. Verstappen immediately knew he was on the wrong rubber, calling on his team to change him to the intermediate tyres. In Verstappen came at the end of the opening lap, but by the time he emerged, Piastri had done enough to leapfrog him and lead a Formula One race for the first time in his career. Gasly, Perez and Hamilton benefited from their early stops to move up the pecking order. On lap three, the Safety Car was back out after Fernando Alonso crashed. The double world champion, who turned 42 on Saturday, lost control of his Aston Martin through the left-hander Turn 11, pirouetting through the gravel and nudging the barrier. Piastri headed the field when the race restarted on lap six, but his defence lasted only a handful of corners. Verstappen tracked Piastri through the fearsome Eau Rouge-Raidillon section and then blasted by on the Kemmel Straight. We tried our best and led a few laps but we were no match for Max Oscar Piastri Asked if it was a mistake not to stop for inters at the very start of the race, Verstappen said: “No, it was just a safer call. “I could have come in first and be blocked by other cars in the pits. We lost one position but we knew we were quick and when we put the inter tyres on we were flying.” Piastri, 22, said: “I feel very happy. We tried our best and led a few laps but we were no match for Max. “I thought the safety car would play in my favour with less laps to try and hold him behind. I got a good restart but by the top of Eau Rouge he was on top of me already. I could not keep him behind on the straight.” Further back in the battle for fourth, Hamilton attempted to muscle his way past Perez but the Mercedes man made contact with his Red Bull rival. Perez briefly remained ahead before Hamilton drove round the outside of the Mexican at La Source. Perez sustained damage in the accident and fell down the field, sliding through the gravel and then being ordered by his Red Bull team to retire the car. The stewards investigated the flashpoint and slapped Hamilton with a penalty, demoting him down the order. Verstappen remained in control of the race, taking the chequered flag 6.6 sec clear of Piastri to rack up yet another win in a one-sided campaign. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Max Verstappen beats Oscar Piastri to sprint race pole in Belgium How Max Verstappen and record-breaking Red Bull compare to Formula One greats I held my breath – Lewis Hamilton enjoys ‘extraordinary’ run to pole in Budapest

Max Verstappen will start on pole position for Saturday’s sprint race after beating McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to top spot by just 0.011 seconds. Verstappen qualified fastest here on Friday for Sunday’s Grand Prix, but he will line up in sixth after serving a grid penalty for a gearbox change. But for the 15-lap dash in the Ardennes, the Red Bull driver begins from the front after edging out the impressive Piastri in wet-dry conditions at Spa-Francorchamps. Carlos Sainz finished third, just 0.025sec adrift of Verstappen, with Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc fourth. Lando Norris took fifth for McLaren, while Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, who appeared to trip over one another in the closing moments, only seventh and 10th respectively for Mercedes. “It was difficult, but we stayed calm,” said Verstappen. “The gap to second was not as big as yesterday, but there was no need to risk it all. “My second sector was a bit careful – turns eight and nine were very slippery so I left a bit of time on the table – but I am still on pole and that is what counts. “Let’s see if it rains in the afternoon. I will try to have a clean start and have good vision and that is very important when it is wet.” The start of qualifying was delayed following heavy rainfall in the area, but the sun suddenly broke through allowing the action to get under way 35 minutes later than advertised. The final running took place on an almost dry track and the times tumbled as grip improved and the clock ticked down. Rookie Piastri, 22, looked to have done enough to take the spoils when he crossed the line fastest, only for Verstappen to steal his thunder “There wasn’t much left in that lap,” said Piastri over the radio. “Probably 11 milliseconds.” Verstappen is on course to gallop to his third world championship in as many years and the Dutch driver will be expected to extend his 110-point lead over team-mate Sergio Perez later on Saturday, with the Mexican only eighth on the grid. Eight points are awarded for the winner of the 15-lap dash, with a sliding scale down to to eighth place. The result of Saturday’s sprint, which could take place in the wet with more rain forecast, has no bearing on Sunday’s 44-lap main event. Lance Stroll’s gamble to switch from wet rubber to slicks with a couple minutes of Q2 remaining backfired as he crashed out. The Canadian driver lost control of his Aston Martin through the left-hand ninth corner, skidding through the gravel and into the tyre barrier. The front of Stroll’s machine was heavily damaged in the accident and the running was suspended. His crash meant team-mate Fernando Alonso, who turned 42 on Saturday, did not post a time, leaving him a disappointing 15th on the grid. Saturday’s race is due to get under way at 5:05pm local time (4:05pm BST). Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live How Max Verstappen and record-breaking Red Bull compare to Formula One greats I held my breath – Lewis Hamilton enjoys ‘extraordinary’ run to pole in Budapest Max Verstappen gives hope to rivals after coming 11th in Hungarian GP practice

Max Verstappen took pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix despite an X-rated radio row with his race engineer. Verstappen was embroiled in a squabble with Gianpiero Lambiase after he only just made it through to Q3 during a wet-dry session at Spa-Francorchamps. But the championship leader regained his composure at the business end of qualifying to demolish the opposition, finishing eight tenths clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc with Sergio Perez third in the other Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth. However, Verstappen will only start Sunday’s race from sixth position as he serves a five-place grid drop for exceeding his gearbox allocation. Follow live updates from the Belgian Grand Prix with The Independent Read More Carlos Sainz interview: ‘All of us at Ferrari expected more – we haven’t done the best job’ Daniel Ricciardo is back - and this time he wants to go out on top Max Verstappen receives penalty for Belgian Grand Prix

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Max Verstappen vowed to kiss and make up with his race engineer following their X-rated row in Belgian Grand Prix qualifying. Verstappen finished fastest in a wet-dry session at Spa-Francorchamps, but he will start Sunday’s 44-lap race from sixth following a gearbox penalty. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is promoted to pole position, with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez second. Lewis Hamilton, on pole a week ago in Hungary, will line up in third. Verstappen made it into Q3 – the final phase of qualifying – by the skin of his teeth and vented his anger at long-serving race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, known as GP, following the close-call. “I should have just f****** pushed two laps in a row like I said,” said Verstappen, who sneaked through in 10th place. “But you are through, Max,” replied Lambiase. “I don’t give a f*** that we are P10, mate. It is just s*** execution,” came Verstappen’s fiery response. Lambiase snapped back: “OK, and then when the track was two seconds quicker for your final lap and you didn’t have any energy left, how would that have gone down?” A surly Lambiase added: “But you tell me what you want to do in Q3 and we’ll do it. Tyre sets, fuel, run plan.” After returning to finish eighth tenths clear of Leclerc, Verstappen issued an apology. “Sorry to GP for being such on the rant,” he said over the radio. Lambiase replied: “Slowly getting used to it, Max.” Speaking afterwards, Verstappen added: “It happens sometimes. Most of it is blocked off. “We are mates. We can get quite emotional, quite vocal. We sort it out afterwards.” Verstappen’s grid drop for exceeding the allocated number of four gearboxes will provide his rivals with forlorn hope they can end his seven-race winning streak. However, the Dutchman, a winner of nine of the 11 rounds so far this season, started this race from 14th last year owing to engine penalties and still took the victory in his all-conquering Red Bull machine. For Hamilton, the seven-time world champion faced a post-qualifying investigation from the stewards after he ran off the circuit at Eau Rouge before re-joining in front of team-mate George Russell in Q2. Russell was forced to slow down to avoid making contact with the sister Mercedes. Race control noted the incident and confirmed they would investigate. Hamilton finished nine tenths slower than Verstappen, with Russell even further back in eighth, 0.8sec adrift of his team-mate. “It was definitely very hectic because it was consistently drying up,” said Hamilton after the running started on a wet track. “It was difficult to see with the spray. I was head down, just maximining as much as I could. “At the end, I was still a good chunk off Max. But I am really happy with the result I’ve got.” Carlos Sainz qualified fifth for Ferrari, one spot ahead of Oscar Piastri, with Lando Norris seventh in the other McLaren. Daniel Ricciardo finished a commendable 13th on his F1 comeback but the Australian will line up from the penultimate spot on the grid. Ricciardo temporarily hauled his AlphaTauri through to Q2 only to see his lap time deleted for exceeding track limits. “F***, I am sorry,” said Ricciardo when informed of the chalked-off lap. “I just lost it through Turn 3. I am sorry.” Spa-Francorchamps is hosting the sport’s third sprint event of the year with a shortened race on Saturday to come before Sunday’s main event – the concluding round ahead of the sport’s summer shutdown. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Max Verstappen fastest for Belgian GP despite X-rated row with race engineer How Max Verstappen and record-breaking Red Bull compare to Formula One greats I held my breath – Lewis Hamilton enjoys ‘extraordinary’ run to pole in Budapest

Max Verstappen took pole position for the Belgian Grand Prix despite an X-rated radio row with his race engineer. Verstappen was embroiled in a squabble with Gianpiero Lambiase after he only just made it through to Q3 during a wet-dry session at Spa-Francorchamps. But the championship leader regained his composure at the business end of qualifying to demolish the opposition, finishing eight tenths clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc with Sergio Perez third in the other Red Bull. Lewis Hamilton qualified fourth. However, Verstappen will only start Sunday’s race from sixth position as he serves a five-place grid drop for exceeding his gearbox allocation. Verstappen made it into the final phase by the skin of his teeth in 10th place and then vented his anger at his long-serving engineer. Verstappen accused his team of “s*** execution”, claiming he should have pushed harder on an earlier lap after the field switched from wet to dry rubber. “I don’t give a f*** that we are P10, mate”, he yelled over the radio. Lambiase snapped back: “OK, and then when the track was two seconds quicker for your final lap and you didn’t have any energy left, how would that have gone down?” A surly Lambiase added: “But you tell me what you want to do in Q3 and we’ll do it. Tyre sets, fuel, run plan.” But after taking pole, Verstappen, 110 points clear at the standings and on a run of seven-consecutive wins in his all-conquering Red Bull machine, said over the radio: “Sorry to GP for being such on the rant.” Lambiase replied: “Slowly getting used to it, Max.” Hamilton secured pole a week ago in Hungary, but he is facing an investigation from the stewards after he ran off the circuit at Eau Rouge before re-joining in front of team-mate George Russell in Q2. Russell was forced to slow down to avoid making contact with the sister Mercedes. Race control noted the incident before confirming they would investigate. It was an underwhelming afternoon for the Silver Arrows with Hamilton nine tenths slower than Verstappen, and Russell ever further back in eighth, 0.8sec adrift of his team-mate. Lando Norris finished seventh, a spot behind Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren. Daniel Ricciardo qualified a commendable 13th on his return a week ago, but the Australia will line up from the penultimate spot on the grid on Sunday. Ricciardo temporarily hauled his AlphaTauri through to Q2 only to see his lap time deleted for exceeding track limits. “F***, I am sorry,” said Ricciardo when informed of the bad news. “I just lost it through Turn 3. I am sorry.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live How Max Verstappen and record-breaking Red Bull compare to Formula One greats I held my breath – Lewis Hamilton enjoys ‘extraordinary’ run to pole in Budapest Max Verstappen gives hope to rivals after coming 11th in Hungarian GP practice

Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer will leave the team after this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix in a shock announcement. Szafnauer joined the French team from Aston Martin at the start of last season but has seen his former team and McLaren leapfrog Alpine in the standings at the halfway stage of the 2023 campaign. Sporting director Alan Permane, who has been associated with Renault - the parent company of the Alpine brand - for 34 years, will also depart. An Alpine statement read: “The team would like to thank Otmar for his hard work over the past 18 months and for leading the team in achieving fourth place in the 2022 Constructors’ Championship. The team wishes him the best for the future. “After 34 distinguished years at Enstone, the team extends its thanks to Alan and wishes him the best in his future endeavours.” Bruno Famin, currently vice-president of Alpine Motorsports, will take up the role of interim team principal after the summer break from the Dutch Grand Prix onwards. Current academy director Julian Rouse will take the role of interim sporting director. Pat Fry has also left the team to join Williams as chief technical officer. The shake-up follows Laurent Rossi leaving his role as CEO of the F1 team last week, with Philippe Krief replacing him. Alpine finished fourth in the Constructors’ Championship last season but lost Fernando Alonso to Aston Martin and test driver Oscar Piastri to McLaren. The French duo of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly have endured a tricky first half of the season, though Ocon did claim a podium in Monaco. Read More F1 Belgian Grand Prix LIVE: Qualifying updates and FP1 lap times at Spa-Francorchamps F1 grid: Starting positions for Belgian Grand Prix Carlos Sainz interview: ‘All of us at Ferrari expected more – we haven’t done the best job’ F1 Belgian Grand Prix LIVE: Qualifying updates and times at Spa-Francorchamps Max Verstappen receives penalty for Belgian Grand Prix What time is qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix on Friday?

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz topped a rain-hit practice session for the Belgian Grand Prix. With persistent rain falling at Spa-Francorchamps, not one driver completed more than eight laps. Sainz headed the timing charts, half-a-second clear of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri with team-mate Lando Norris third. Max Verstappen, who is set to serve a five-place grid penalty following a gearbox change, was among five of the 20-strong field who did not complete a timed lap. Qualifying is due to take place at 5pm local time (4pm BST), but the running is under threat given the bad weather and poor visibility generated by the spray in the Ardennes. Formula One’s governing body, the FIA, said their priority is to ensure qualifying for Sunday’s main event takes place with other sessions throughout the weekend – including Saturday’s sprint schedule – likely to be sacrificed. Heavy rain is expected to continue on Friday, and into Saturday with conditions forecast to improve on Sunday. One option is to move qualifying to Sunday morning, as the FIA did in Japan in 2019 when Typhoon Hagibis struck. If qualifying can not take place, the FIA confirmed the grid for Sunday’s main event will be set by championship order. Conditions worsened through Friday’s one-hour session with Logan Sargeant crashing out at the midway stage. The Williams rookie lost control of his car under braking for Les Combes, heading straight into the barrier. The American was unharmed in the accident but the red flags were deployed to recover his stricken machine. Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu also grazed the barrier after he ran through the gravel. The FIA’s decision whether or not to run in the wet conditions will be heightened following the death of 18-year-old Dilano Van ‘t Hoff at Spa-Francorchamps earlier this month. The Dutch teenager was killed after a crash in a rain-hit Formula Regional European Championship (FRECA) race on July 1. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live How Max Verstappen and record-breaking Red Bull compare to Formula One greats I held my breath – Lewis Hamilton enjoys ‘extraordinary’ run to pole in Budapest Max Verstappen gives hope to rivals after coming 11th in Hungarian GP practice

The central bank estimates that South Africa’s economic growth this year and over the next two would have

The Formula 1 paddock returns to Spa-Francorchamps this weekend for the Belgian Grand Prix and the third sprint weekend of the 2023 season. Max Verstappen claimed his seventh grand prix victory in a row last weekend in Hungary and now returns to a track he won at from 14th on the grid last year. The Dutchman is cruising to a third world championship this season and currently holds a 110-point lead at the halfway stage of the campaign to Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez. EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Daniel Ricciardo is back – and this time he wants to go out on top Lewis Hamilton secured his first pole since December 2021 in Budapest but slipped down to fourth during the race. The Mercedes star will be looking to bounce back at a circuit he retired at in 2022, while McLaren’s Lando Norris is hoping to keep up his good form after two second-place finishes in a row. Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is a staple F1 track and for the first time in 2023 will host an F1 sprint race, meaning there will be more action than ever before in the final meet before the summer break. Here is everything you need to know.

Max Verstappen has received a five-place grid penalty for the Belgian Grand Prix as a result of exceeding his gearbox allocation. The Red Bull driver, who is cruising to his third-straight world title, currently has a 110-point lead in the standings at the halfway stage of the 2023 season. The Dutchman started 14th on the grid at Spa-Francorchamps last year and went on to win the race and will have a deficit from the start this Sunday given his penalty. The penalty will just apply to Sunday’s grand prix, as opposed to the sprint race on Saturday. Teams are limited to just four each of a prescribed number of gearbox components. It is not yet clear which component Verstappen has exceeded his allocation on. Qualifying for the grand prix takes place on Friday afternoon. Verstappen has won nine of the 11 races so far this season, with team-mate Sergio Perez winning the other two. This weekend’s race at Spa is the last meet before the summer break, with the season resuming at the end of August with the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. Read More F1 Belgian Grand Prix LIVE: Qualifying updates and times at Spa-Francorchamps What time is qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix on Friday? F1 2023 race schedule: When is the Belgian Grand Prix?

Max Verstappen will not start Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix from pole position with the world champion set to serve a five-place grid penalty. Verstappen, 110 points clear at the top of the standings, is due to take on his fifth gearbox, one more than he is permitted. It means the 25-year-old will begin the grand prix on Sunday no higher than sixth in something of a boost to his forlorn rivals. However, the Dutchman started the race from 14th last year owing to engine penalties and still took the win in his dominant Red Bull machine. Verstappen has won the last seven races, nine of the 11 rounds staged so far this season, and is on course to wrap up a hat-trick of titles. At last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Verstappen’s Red Bull team set a new F1 record of 12 consecutive wins. Qualifying for Sunday’s race is due to take place at 5pm local time (4pm BST) on Friday. A sprint race will be staged at Spa-Francorchamps on Saturday, but Verstappen’s penalty will apply only to the main event. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live