Verstappen beats Hamilton in Spa Power Rankings

F1 News

power rankings after belgian grand prix
2 August 2023 at 18:15
Last update 3 August 2023 at 08:49
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  • Ludo van Denderen

Not only with a big lead in the championship, but also with a sizeable gap in the Formula 1 Power Rankings, Max Verstappen has started his summer break. The Dutchman - on his way to his third consecutive world title - also showed his class at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, further consolidating his first place in the Power Rankings standings.

For his performance in the Belgian Ardennes, the Red Bull Racing driver received a 9.6 from the five-member jury. "These days, no matter what is thrown his way, Verstappen seems to be able to withstand any challenges at the moment. Whether it was a five-place grid penalty for the race, or Oscar Piastri undercutting him for the lead in the Sprint, he still triumphed in Belgium," can be read on the official Formula 1 website. The journalists therefore concluded that Verstappen and his team had an 'extraordinary first half of the year'.

Hamilton rewarded after superb performance at Spa

Behind Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton finished second in the rankings after the Belgian Grand Prix. Journalists point out that traffic in the Sprint Shootout prevented Hamilton from winning pole, a penalty in the Sprint dropped him back and his Mercedes was no match for the speed of Charles Leclerc's Ferrari on Sunday. All in all, a 'solid' weekend for the former world champion, was the verdict.

Leclerc, Yuki Tsunoda and Oscar Piastri completed the top five in Belgium. In the overall standings after 12 Grands Prix, they too are no match for Verstappen. The latter has earned an average of 9.2, exactly one point more than his nearest pursuer Fernando Alonso. Lewis Hamilton - as in the championship standings - is close to Alonso in the Power Rankings.