Verstappen, to continue his successful path at Spa

the dutch Max Verstappen (Red Bull), outstanding leader, just has to avoid a real disaster to defend the Formula One World Championship titlea championship that continues this weekend, after the holiday break, with the Belgian Grand Prix, at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

Verstappen, 24, signed, by winning on the last day of last month in Hungary, his eighth victory in the first thirteen races of a World Cup scheduled for 22. And, In the absence of the second part of the contest, he leads with 258 points, eighty more than the Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari). and with 85 of his partner, the Mexican Sergio Pérez; third overall.

‘Checo’, born 32 years ago in Guadalajara (Jalisco) and who, by winning this year in Monaco, raised his F1 win ratio to three, contributing with its excellent work so that Red Bull also leads, comfortably, in the Constructors’ World Championship. With 431 points, 97 more than Ferrari, which it is starting to threaten – only 30 units away – Mercedes: winner of the last eight team championships and which, after a poor start to the season, seems to be accelerating; even if he does not yet know the victory in 2022.

The new sports idol of the Netherlands ‘exploded’ at the World Cup at the Hungaroring. He struck a new sporting blow, but also a big, psychological one; by winning, starting in tenth place -and allowing himself the luxury of recovering after a spin- on a track where, on paper, it was very difficult to overtake.

‘Mad Max’ prevails over the two Englishmen of the once gigantic and now ‘recovered’ Mercedes, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and George Russell starting from pole position; ahead of the two Ferraris, the Spaniard Carlos Sainz -who finished fourth, after starting second- and Leclerc, who started third and finished sixth. On a day where the strategy of the ‘Scuderia’ was, in the best cases, debatable.

Sainz, 27, missed out on a seventh podium in Hungary in a season he described as a “roller coaster”.especially at its beginning. However, despite being fifth in the World Championship -102 points behind Verstappen and two behind Russell, who is fourth-, the talented driver from Madrid, who won his first F1 victory at Silverstone (England ) and he always ends campaigns stronger than how he started them, he thinks “mathematics everything is possible, still”.

However, and seeing what was seen, It seems easier that, before someone else wins it, Verstappen himself loses a World Cup that can be scored, even, without achieving any victory.. Something that, moreover, seems unlikely; because of its quality and well-proven status as a sports predator.

The World Championship will continue with three consecutive races over the weekend, because immediately after the Belgian Grand Prix it will be held in the Netherlands (in Zandvoort) and in Monza (Italy): venue, on September 11, of the last European race .

The first two weekends of October coincide with the spectacular night test in Singapore -at Marina Bay- and including the Japanese Grand Prix, at Suzuka; two races are returning after a two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic. And the last two of that month, with the United States Grand Prix, in Austin (Texas); and with Mexico: at the Hermanos Rodríguez Autodrome in Mexico City.

The Interlagos circuit in São Paulo will host the penultimate race of the year, the Brazilian Grand Prix; just a week before the World Cup closes on November 20 in Abu Dhabi -the capital of the United Arab Emirates-, at Yas Marina.

But the immediate future points to Spa-Francorchamps, after a vacation that started with the bombshell signing of Fernando Alonso -currently at Alpine- by Aston Martinjust three days after celebrating his 41st birthday at the Hungaroring, the circuit where he celebrated the first of his 32 victories and the penultimate of his 98 podium finishes in the premier class.

The double Asturian world champion (2005 and 2006, with Renault) -eighth in Hungary and tenth in the competition, with 41 points- signed a multi-year contract with the British team, where, starting next year, he will replace four-time German world champion Sebastian Vettel (2010-13, with Red Bull), who will retire; and where he will partner the Canadian Lance Stroll, son of Lawrence, the owner of the team.

The first news after the holiday period – made public on Wednesday – is that Australian Daniel Ricciardo will not continue with McLaren after this season. Which indicates that the pilots’ dance still has some melodies left to interpret.

Last year, the legendary circuit of the Ardennes, the longest in the World Championship (7,004 meters), with 19 curves – some mythical, such as Radillon, Eau Rouge (possibly the most famous in the World Championship), Les Combes, Pouhon or Le Source is a terrifying ordeal, marked by a deluge.

A race -the shortest in history- which, after several postponements and delays, was resolved, behind the safety car, only two laps; which gave only half the points; and that, obviously, did not change the result of qualifying: Verstappen scored one of his 28 victories in the premier class, ahead of Russell – that in Williams and that day he climbed the podium for the first opportunity in F1- and of Hamilton. Protagonist of the most notable holidays; with visits to Rwanda, Namibia and Kenya.

Spa-Francorchamps, a track where the rain will never get rid of, reappeared in some places; and some run-offs, once asphalt, now covered with gravel.

This Friday, when free practice begins in one of the sacred temples of F1 – whose continuation in the calendar is not completely guaranteed – it will be shot, if it does not rain, with intermediate range compound tires: the C2 (hard , recognizable by the white stripe), C3 (medium, yellow stripe) and C4 (soft, red).

Practices will be completed on Saturday, hours before qualifying; who will command the starting line of Sunday’s race, scheduled for 44 laps, to complete a 308-kilometer route.