Live | Formula 1 2019 Belgian Grand Prix FP1 - Formula 1 is back!

F1 News

30 August 2019 at 08:00
Last update 30 August 2019 at 10:12
  • Joseph Tyrrell

The racing is back! Formula 1 returns to our lives with the Belgian Grand Prix from Spa. There has been plenty of silly season stories but the drivers can get back to focusing on racing and not their futures!

What happened before the summer break?

It seems like so long ago that the drivers were on circuit competing for supremacy but it wasn't even a month ago that the Hungarian Grand Prix took place. 

After claiming his first-ever pole position at the Hungaroring Max Verstappen looked primed to take his third victory of the season. However, it didn't play out that way as Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton hunted him down on fresher tyres to claim his eighth win of the season thanks to a stunning strategy call from the Mercedes team.

Ferrari finished a minute down on the leaders whilst it was a day to forget for Valtteri Bottas who finished eighth after an early crash threatened to bring a premature end to his race. 

It was the last race in a Red Bull for Pierre Gasly who was dropped to Toro Rosso over the summer break and replaced by Alex Albon as of the Belgian Grand Prix. 

McLaren ended the first part of the season as best of the rest with a strong lead over their rivals.