The World Championship leader was fastest with solvency and made it clear that neither the advantage he enjoys nor starting from the back of the grid due to suspension will prevent him from dominating
The difficulty and the forecast of rain for the entire weekend made it beneficial for many teams to decide to sacrifice their drivers, including the tough contenders for the title. Max Verstappen, who will remain the leader no matter what happens after this trio of successive Grand Prix, and Charles Leclerc, his main pursuer (although it is not clear he will be his worst enemy) are two of those who will emerge from the bottom of the grid after changing the power unit to face the rest of the season with a fresh engine.
In the case of Ferrari, they don’t have much margin, given the advantage Verstappen has in the World Cup. Aware of this, they need the next two weekends to look after their interests, something for which they have to sharpen their main weapons. There is no point in being fastest in free practice or even qualifying if this is not confirmed in the race. The strategist, the mechanic of the wheel or the boss himself, Mattia Binotto, in addition to the pilots, cannot fail.
But beyond the mattress, already remarkable that Verstappen has, it is the pace shown during these free sessions that makes it clear that he starts with an advantage over the rest. The Dutchman was the fastest of a complex day that left Leclerc more than 8 tenths behind, with the track complicated by the rain and the feeling of impotence on the part of his rivals. “Did he really do that time?” The Monegask wondered when he would find out the World Cup leader’s time.
The figure of Carlos Sainz will be key in the fight Leclerc may have with Verstappen. The man from Madrid led the first session, which had less action than expected due to the rain, and in the afternoon he finished fifth, just behind the unexpected Lance Stroll and Lando Norris, who wanted to prove himself. Sainz is clear that as he will not penalize he should live up to expectations and put his F1-75 in the noble zone or even on pole if he has the time.
There were many eyes on the Alpine box. In a news release Friday, starting with the confirmation that Audi will be a motorcyclist from 2026, there were many doubts that Fernando Alonso and the Anglo-French team themselves would notice the confirmed split between the two sides for 2023. Alonso is aware that they won’t have the affection of his bosses, but they have no choice but to give him the best of themselves to get the necessary points for that fourth-place finish in the championship.
The Spaniard’s seventh place to finish the day at Spa-Francorchamps confirmed that he will start with a good feeling and a desire to justify himself. Not only because he was the leader of his team against Esteban Ocon, who did not make it through the 16th time, but also because he made it clear that he will not let go in the remaining races. Alonso will honor his contract until the end of his relationship with Alpine, who will have one eye on the track and another on the offices.
And it is that on that aforementioned Friday of news the team received one that will be important for next year. The Contract Recognition Board will decide by 2023 who has a relationship between Oscar Piastri, Alpine and McLaren. The Australian driver is starting out as the big contender to replace Daniel Ricciardo, who has already confirmed his departure from the Woking squad, but it’s not yet clear where. McLaren wants Piastri, but so does Alpine and both use their respective contracts. It is up to a judge to determine which weighs more heavily, but that will be after Sunday’s race in Belgium.
Source: La Verdad
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