Red Bull's Max Verstappen triumphs to take battling win at Belgian Grand Prix after starting in 14th

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen sealed his ninth victory of the 2022 Formula One season and his 29th overall, as the Championship leader made up 13 places to secure a famous win at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps with a sublime drive.

Sergio Perez finished just under eighteen seconds behind his Red Bull teammate in P2 to secure the team’s fourth one-two finish of the 2022 season. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz rounded off the podium places to finish in third.

Verstappen, who started the race in fourteenth after a grid drop for a component change, had it all to do to make up the positions on track to be able to fight for the victory, despite finishing Saturday’s qualifying session top of the timesheets. Sainz, who ended Q3 in second place, moved up into pole position for the race.

Charles Leclerc also started back down the grid in P15 due to a grid penalty. Despite being almost two seconds off the pace on Saturday, both Mercedes received a reprieve due to drivers taking penalties around them and started from 4th and 5th respectively.

There was drama on the first lap of the race, as Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton leapfrogged Perez into the first corner to take P2 and P3 respectively. The Mercedes driver then tried to get past the Alpine into the Les Combes chicane around the outside, but they made contact, which briefly saw Hamilton’s car launched into the air. Mercedes were forced to retire the car, which prompted a full safety car on Lap 2. Perez got back up into second place after the incident, with Sainz remaining in the lead of the race.

The safety car came in on Lap 5, and by then Verstappen had already made up five places and was up into P8. Three laps later, the Dutchman was up into the podium positions after getting past George Russell down the Kemmel straight, demonstrating the raw pace of the Red Bull.

Sainz, who like Verstappen started on the softer compound tyres, came in for a fresh set of mediums on Lap 12 as the high degradation was causing issues for the drivers throughout the grid. On the same lap, Verstappen got past his Red Bull teammate Perez and was looking in a good position to challenge for the victory.

Verstappen extended his first stint and eventually pitted for a set of medium tyres on lap 16, emerging back out behind Sainz. Two laps later, the Red Bull driver took the lead of the Grand Prix, and got past the Ferrari with ease down the Kemmel straight.

From then on, Verstappen led until the chequered flag. Red Bull then had the one-two finish in their sights as Perez got past Sainz on Lap 21, as Ferrari were unable to replicate the same pace as their rivals.

It proved to be a fairly straightforward drive for Verstappen thereafter, with the championship leader extending the gap to Perez behind him to almost 19 seconds.

Sainz, who thought he had the final podium place all wrapped up, faced a late challenge from Mercedes’ George Russell in the closing stages of the race behind him in fourth, as the Briton closed the gap down to just two seconds. Fortunately for the Spaniard, the Silver Arrow could not close in any further despite his late charge.

Verstappen took the chequered flag to a hero's reception by the Dutch fans in the crowd to extend his championship lead to a staggering 93 points.

Leclerc, who changed to the soft tyres on the penultimate lap to go for the fastest lap of the race and a bonus point, saw the call backfire, as it cost him fifth position to Alonso’s Alpine.

The championship leader produced one of the best drives of his career after winning this race despite starting all the way down in P14. Before the start of the Grand Prix, many had predicted (including the Mercedes strategists) that the Dutchman would rapidly close the gap and make up positions during the first stint, and that is exactly what came to pass.

Red Bull's pace all weekend has been nothing short of sensational, and it is definitely a wake up call for Ferrari ahead of next weekend's race at Zandvoort.

The championship battle seems all but done now considering the lead that Verstappen has in the driver's standings, but there are still many races to come before the close of the season, so anything can happen.

LAP 1/44 - The lights go out here at Spa Francorchamps, and we are racing! Sainz leads into the La Source hairpin! Alonso is up into P2! Both Mercedes are behind him and Perez has had a shocking start! Then CONTACT! Hamilton tries to jump Alonso at the end of the Kemmel Straight into Les Combes and they hit each other, launching the Mercedes into the air! Hamilton may have terminal damage! His engineer has told him to retire the car! Verstappen is up into P8!

LAP 5/44 - Green flag! The safety car comes back in but Sainz locks up into the last corner, which compromises him! The Ferrari remains in front, with Perez now looking behind him as Russell tries to get past. Alonso tries to attack the Mercedes into Les Combes but Russell just about holds him off to remain in P3.

LAP 8/44 - VERSTAPPEN UP TO P3 - It did not take long did it? Verstappen eases past the Mercedes of George Russell down the Kemmel straight with the help of DRS. Only eight laps in, and he has made up a total of 11 positions. Perez is only 2.6 seconds up the road.

LAP 12/44 - SAINZ PITS - Sainz has pitted from the lead for a set of mediums, and it seems that Ferrari are trying to force the undercut! Meanwhile, Verstappen takes the lead of the Grand Prix after getting past Perez down the Kemmel straight. Verstappen is expected to pit at the end of this lap. Let's see if that happens.

LAP 16/44 - VERSTAPPEN PITS! - Verstappen finally decides to come into the pits. Sainz emerges back out in front of the Red Bull, but Verstappen comes out back out in front of his team-mate. That first stint has worked out perfectly for the Dutchman! He can now push from here and try to close the gap to Carlos Sainz, who is still out in front. Meanwhile, Russell makes an overtake on Leclerc down the back straight with the help of DRS and moves up into P4!

LAP 18/44 - VERSTAPPEN GETS PAST SAINZ AND LEADS THE RACE! - What a moment that could be in this race! Verstappen has made up the two second gap to Sainz, and closes up to DRS range. He uses his rear wing to get past the Ferrari into Les Combes and he has the lead of the race after 18 laps despite starting down in P14! Brilliant work from Red Bull so far.

LAP 23/44 - VERSTAPPEN EXTENDS GAP - Verstappen is driving beautifully here, and he is constantly extending the gap by a considerable chunk every lap out in front. He is now almost nine seconds clear of Perez. Another ten seconds would put him a whole pit stop ahead of his nearest challenger on the track.

LAP 17/44 - DOUBLE OVERTAKE! - Best overtake of the race so far! Ocon makes a brilliant pass on Ricciardo down the back of Blanchimont into the bus stop chicane, and then gets Albon as well on the outside of the bus stop chicane! Ocon up into P10.