The championship tightens
The 2018 Belgian Grand Prix had the sudden excitement that came in the form of the turn one incident caused by Nico Hulkenberg seemingly forgetting where his braking point was and plowing into the back of Fernando Alonso.
This contact launched Alonso up and over the top of Charles Leclerc in his Alfa Romeo Sauber. As Alonso re-entered orbit, one of his front tires made heavy contact with the halo on Leclerc’s car, leaving a massive mark on the halo but leaving Leclerc unharmed.
Once the race resumed, it was Sebastian Vettel who passed Lewis Hamilton before sprinting off into the distance and finishing a whole 11.061 seconds ahead of him. Hamilton expressed his surprise about his inability to challenge Vettel around the circuit after the race.
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In the mid-pack, the “new” team, Racing Point Force India, had a stellar weekend. Esteban Ocon earned his way to a starting position of third place with the help of perfect timing from the pit wall during the final qualifying session.
During the race, both Ocon and Sergio Perez fought hard to bring in an impressive points haul that has already moved the “new” team ahead of Williams Martini Racing in the constructor standings after just one race. It’s a shame to think that Ocon might be out of a job with Lance Stroll being strongly rumored to be taking his seat at Force India next year and Ocon revealing that his time at his current team will be coming to an end after the 2018 season comes to an end.
The Formula 1 paddock has been swirling with equal amounts on-track and off-track drama as drivers are switching teams for next season and two racing titans are vying for racing glory on the track.
With his most recent win, Vettel is only 17 points behind Hamilton in the driver standings (231 to 214). Which driver has the advantage seems to be anyone’s guess, as both drivers seem to be strong at different tracks and the driver with the lead in the standings has been prone to mistakes. Long story short, this championship fight will come down to the end.
Formula 1 travels next to the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in Monza, Italy for the Italian Grand Prix. Tune into ESPN2 on September 2 at 9:10 a.m. ET. for the live race broadcast. Will Lewis Hamilton find his championship form again, or will Sebastian Vettel continue to chip away at his lead?