This weekend, Formula 1 heads to Belgium for the final race before the summer break. With seven different race winners already this season, and the competition becoming increasinly closer, a number of drivers will be looking for a victory. In addition, a host of records could also be borken or equalled at Spa-Francorchamps.
Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso will both make their 18th start at the Belgian Grand Prix, and will become the first drivers to do so. George Russell will also make his 59th start for Mercedes, overtaking Michael Schumacher as the driver to have made the fourth most starts with the team. It is also the 81st start for Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez as teammates, equalling them to Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, who hold the record for the fifth-most races as teammates.
This season, the pole sitter has failed to win any of the last five Grands Prix. Should the pole sitter fail to win this weekend, it will become the first time since between the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix, and the 2010 Chinese Grand Prix that the pole sitter has failed to take victory six races in a row. Hamilton currently holds the record for the most number of pole positions (six) at the Belgian track. For the last two years, it has been a Ferrari driver who has taken pole position.
Which victory records could be broken?
Hamilton's last victory at the circuit was in 2021. With one race win already this season, he could go for another. Should he win this weekend, he will become the third driver, alongside Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna, to have five or more victories at the circuit. Schumacher holds the record of six. Hamilton could also break his own record of most number of podiums in Belgium, having featured 10 times during his career. This would be his 201st podium overall.
If Red Bull fail to win this weekend, it would end their streak of consecutive wins at the circuit, which they have held since 2021. If Max Verstappen does win, this will become his fourth consecutive win at the circuit, making him the third driver to achieve this record, alongside Jim Clark and Ayrton Senna. Nevertheless, McLaren are also looking for their third victory of the season.Should they secure another one-two finish, like they did in Hungary this year, then this would mark the 50th for the team. They would become the third team after Ferrari and Mercedes to secure one-two finishes, and be the first time since 2010 that the team has had two consecutive one-two results.
