Despite starting the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix in P6 following a five-place grid penalty, Max Verstappen continued his stunning form this season to claim top spot on the podium at Spa-Francorchamps.
The Dutchman made light work of fighting his way through the pack before he overtook his teammate Sergio Perez on lap 16 after which he didn't look back, eventually winning by over 20 seconds.
He heads into the sport's summer break with a huge lead at the top of the World Drivers' Championship as he closes in on a third consecutive title success.
The start of the race had seen Carlos Sainz and Oscar Piastri collide at the opening corner with damage for both ending their respective races early on, whilst Perez overtook Charles Leclerc for the lead of the race.
The next bout of drama came in the form of a light rain shower. It didn't fall heavily enough to force the drivers onto the intermediate tyres at any point even though Verstappen did nearly lose control heading up the hill at Eau Rouge.
Even though Ferrari will have been disappointed by Sainz's retirement, his teammate Leclerc came home to take the final podium spot, while Lewis Hamilton took the extra point on offer by pumping in the fastest lap of the race on the final lap.
Fernando Alonso, George Russell, Lando Norris, Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda rounded out the points positions as the Belgian Grand Prix offered its customary combination of overtakes and excitement.
MORE: F1 Belgian Grand Prix predictions, odds, betting tips, best bets for 2023 race at Spa-Francorchamps
F1 2023 Belgian Grand Prix results
| Position | Driver | Team | Points |
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 25 |
| 2 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull | 18 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 15 |
| 4 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 13 |
| 5 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 10 |
| 6 | George Russell | Mercedes | 8 |
| 7 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 6 |
| 8 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 5 |
| 9 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 2 |
| 10 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 1 |
| 11 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | - |
| 12 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo | - |
| 13 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo | - |
| 14 | Alex Albon | Williams | - |
| 15 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | - |
| 16 | Daniel Ricciardo | AlphaTauri | - |
| 17 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | - |
| 18 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | - |
| DNF | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | - |
| DNF | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | - |
F1 Belgian Grand Prix 2023 live updates, highlights: As it happened
CHEQUERED FLAG: MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS THE 2023 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX!! Despite starting this race down in P6, the Dutchman cruises home to win his eighth straight race by over 20 seconds. There's no stopping the Red Bull star at the moment!
His teammate Perez finishes in P2 whilst Leclerc rounds out the podium places with a well-earned P3 result.
MAX VERSTAPPEN WINS THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX 🇧🇪🏆👏 #BelgianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/8QcJIDxwMD
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 30, 2023
Lap 41: Verstappen is absolute cruising to an eighth straight victory here as he holds an 18-second lead ahead of his teammate Perez.
Leclerc follows with Hamilton just behind before Alonso, Russell, Norris, Stroll, Ocon and Tsunoda all follow in the points-paying positions.
Lap 39: Is that the overtake of the race from Ocon? He chases Tsunoda all the way down the Kemmel Straight before he goes right around the outside of corner five. Beauty of a move from the Frenchman!
Lap 37: Leclerc is currently holding onto P3 after facing pressure from Hamilton who is seemingly setting himself up for a late assault on that final podium place.
Russell is beginning to catch Alonso for P5.
Lap 35: Verstappen's engineer is not happy at all as the Dutchman really begins to use his new soft tyres up. The Dutchman comes back with "well, why don't push on and we do some more pitstop training" in a jokingly fashion.
Those two have been a bit grumpy with each other this weekend, maybe a holiday apart is in order..
Lap 33: Verstappen regains the fastest lap of this race after Hulkenberg took it a few laps ago. Meanwhile, Gasly and Albon produce a great battle as the Frenchman pounces on the Williams driver for P11.
Lap 31: After all the drivers make at least their second stop here at Spa, it's Verstappen who leads from Perez, Leclerc, Hamilton and Alonso. Russell is on the back of the Spanish veteran but he has much older tyres and will struggle to get past him here.
LAP 26/44 👀#BelgianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/twUWmynF48
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 30, 2023
Lap 30: Perez is the latest driver on track to pit. He comfortably comes out ahead of Leclerc in the battle for P2, about 4.5 seconds.
Lap 29: After really struggling for a few laps, Hamilton makes another stop and he comes out behind Alonso in P5. That should be a fun battle in a few laps times.. Leclerc pits and comes out just in front of the pair.
Lap 27: If McLaren are struggling then Aston Martin are doing the opposite with Alonso looking comfortable in P5 on his birthday weekend. Stroll is also in P8 as they look to take some big points today.
Lap 25: The blue skies begin to come out and it looks like the rain is going to subside as Verstappen pumps in his quickest lap for a while. He now has a lead of over six seconds as Hamilton closes Leclerc for P3 behind Perez.
Sainz is forced to retire following the damage he sustained on the opening lap.
Lap 23: Norris produces a lovely move on Sargeant as the McLaren starts to come alive in these damper conditions.
Russell comes in for his first stop and puts on a set of softs. That might indicate that this rain will be short-lived.
Lap 21: Verstappen comes over his radio to say "it's raining quite a lot" but all the drivers carry on for now. The Dutch driver then nearly losses it going up the hill which would have been a huge crash and will worry him in these conditions.
Meanwhile, Stroll comes in for a new set of soft. That's a bit of a gamble.
Lap 19: There are a few drivers holding onto their original tyres here as the rain starts to fall. They could be quids in if it intensifies and all need to move onto wet tyres.
Lap 18: Just to highlight his pace, Verstappen now pumps in the fastest lap of this race as the umbrellas go up in the grandstand. Here comes the rain!
Lap 17: After a whole lap of pressure, Verstappen overtakes Perez and he leads the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix! In this form and in that car, he's proving simply impossible to beat.
Just behind, Russell finally gets past Stroll for P6 with a tidy move.
Lap 15: Verstappen now comes into the pit and a quick stop sees him come back out just 2.1 seconds behind his teammate Perez in the lead.
The rain is apparently coming so get ready...
Lap 14: Hamilton is the first of the top four to pit and he comes back out in P4 ahead of Stroll who threatens to overtake but can't get it done.
Perez and Leclerc are in as well and come back out in P2 and P3 respectively.
Lap 13: Despite seeing his teammate fly through the pack as expected from P6 to P2, Perez is holding his own out front for now. His lead still sits at 2.7 seconds as Verstappen struggles to close the gap quickly.
Lap 11: It's becoming a race to forget for McLaren here. Piastri is out whilst Norris is all the way down in P15. They gambled on a wet weather set up which helped yesterday as the Australian finished P2 in the Sprint but it's proving a nightmare toward in the dry conditions.
Lap 10: Verstappen gets past Leclerc for P2! It's a beautiful move from the championship leader who goes late on the breaks to sweep around the outside of corner five after the long straight.
Next up; his teammate Perez for the lead of this race.
Lap 9: There's some great drives going on here with Tusnoda up in P6, Stroll in P7 and Sargeant up to P9. Could the American hold on for a first points finish this season?
Lap 7: There have already been around 4 or 5 pit stops as the early soft tyres runs come to an end. That's very early on in this race and points towards a two-stop strategy for some.
Verstappen is now within a second of Leclerc in the battle for P2.
Lap 6: Verstappen is up to P3! After putting Hamilton under intense pressure, the Dutchman finally gets past his rival at the end of the Kemmel Straight. Sainz continues to tumble down the grid elsewhere as Albon is the latest to pass the damaged Ferrari.
LAP 6/44
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 30, 2023
Make that P3 for Verstappen...
The Dutchman is past Hamilton and on a charge#BelgianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/idHftTZFQs
Lap 5: Perez is flying here and already has a 2.3-second lead over Leclerc out front. Behind, Tsunoda is up to P6 as he gets past Sainz. What a result this could be for the AlphaTauri driver this afternoon!
Lap 4: Sainz's engineer reports that he has 5% aero loss which is huge. He's struggling as the top four have already pulled away by over six seconds. On the Kemmel Straight, he loses P5 to Alonso as his afternoon goes from bad to worse.
Lap 2: The yellow flags are out in sector 2 as Piastri pulls up to the side of the track, he's out of this race. Replays show that he dived down the inside of Sainz who then pushed him into the wall. The Ferrari driver has also reported damage but remains in P5 for now.
LAP 2/44
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 30, 2023
Agony for Piastri who picked up damage at the start getting squeezed at Turn 1
The Aussie quickly dropped down the field and has been forced to retire ❌#BelgianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/pZtXCklA7n
LIGHTS OUT: It's away we go at Spa and Perez leads the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix!!! What a start from the Mexican who blitzes past Leclerc down the Kemmel Straight.
It's a disaster for Piastri though who has damage and falls to last on the track after an opening corner collision. Verstappen up to P4 with Hamilton just ahead.
2 minutes to lights out: We're off for the formation lap ahead of the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix. There's no rain for now but there are threats of heavy showers all afternoon which could bring some drama with them.
Charles is readying for action
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 30, 2023
The @ScuderiaFerrari driver starts from pole 💪#BelgianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/d5MFifjlwH
15 minutes to lights out: The drivers are now heading to the front of the grid for the Belgian national anthem. Can Leclerc finally get a victory this season, will Verstappen storm through the pack or will it be somebody else taking the chequered flag today? We'll find out shortly!
30 minutes to lights out: All the cars have left the pits and now sit on the grid with the exception of Nico Hulkenberg. The German qualified last on Friday so his Haas team have switched his power unit as a result which will see him start from the pit lane.
45 minutes to lights out: As much as people will be saying, 'oh, it's only a matter of time until Verstappen takes the lead of this race', you never know especially with the threat of rain again this afternoon at Spa.
In those conditions, a safety car is likely and if it doesn't line up well for the Dutchman, he could struggle to get through the pack that easily. Add to that the fact that he's much more likely to suffer a collision off the line in P6 compared to usual and this race is truly up for grabs.
1 hour to lights out: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix taking place around the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
Despite winning in qualifying on Friday, Max Verstappen starts from P6 on the grid today after he took a five-place penalty for changing his gearbox. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc starts on pole as a result, whilst Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez starts in P2 after a miserable Sprint race saw him DNF yesterday following contact with Lewis Hamilton.
Welcome to RACE DAY! 🇧🇪#BelgianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/iGI2pattww
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 30, 2023
F1 Belgian Grand Prix starting grid
Here's the full starting grid for today's 2023 Belgian Grand Prix.
*Verstappen serving a five-place grid penalty for changing his gearbox.
| Grid place | Driver |
| 1. | Charles Leclerc |
| 2. | Sergio Perez |
| 3. | Lewis Hamilton |
| 4. | Carlos Sainz |
| 5. | Oscar Piastri |
| 6. | Max Verstappen* |
| 7. | Lando Norris |
| 8. | George Russell |
| 9. | Fernando Alonso |
| 10. | Lance Stroll |
| 11. | Yuki Tsunoda |
| 12. | Pierre Gasly |
| 13 | Kevin Magnussen |
| 14. | Valtteri Bottas |
| 15. | Esteban Ocon |
| 16. | Alex Albon |
| 17. | Zhou Guanyu |
| 18. | Logan Sargeant |
| 19. | Daniel Ricciardo |
| 20. | Nico Hulkenberg |
What time does the F1 race start?
- Date: Sunday, July 30
- Start time: 2 p.m. BST / 9 a.m. ET / 11 p.m. AEDT / 3 p.m. local time
Sunday's 2023 Belgian Grand Prix is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. local time. Lights out will take place just after 2 p.m. BST/9 a.m. ET.
What TV channel is the F1 on?
| UK | USA | Canada | Australia | |
| TV Channel | Sky Sports F1 | ESPN/ABC | TSN (English); RDS (French) | Fox Sports |
Where can I live stream F1?
| UK | USA | Canada | Australia | |
| Live Stream | NOW TV / Sky Go app | ESPN+ | fubo, TSN Direct | Kayo |
How to watch Formula 1 in the US
- TV channel: ABC; ESPN
- Live stream: Fubo / Hulu / Sling TV
F1 fans in the USA can catch all the action in 2023 with all 23 races set to be shown live on ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2. For Spanish-language viewers, they can find live broadcasts on ESPN Deportes, though ESPNews and ESPNU will also show some practice and qualifying sessions live throughout the year.
As well as on the official F1 TV service, the action can be live streamed on Hulu + Live TV with subscriptions. Elsewhere, Sling TV will also show the action, as too will FuboTV in the US.
How to watch Formula 1 in Canada
- TV channel: TSN (English); RDS (French)
- Live stream: TSN Direct
For fans in Canada, TSN will carry the English-language telecast of races. For those looking for the French-language broadcast, RDS will have you covered.
Races can be streamed on fubo and via TSN's streaming service, TSN Direct.
How to watch Formula 1 in the United Kingdom
- TV channel: Sky Sports F1
- Live stream: NOW TV / Sky Go app
Viewers in the United Kingdom can catch all F1 action on Sky Sports F1, the dedicated F1 channel. For viewers planning to live stream F1 in 2023, you can watch via the Sky Go app if you're an existing subscriber or you can purchase a Sky Sports Pass on NOW TV.
How to watch Formula 1 in Australia
- TV channel: Fox Sports; Channel 10
- Live stream: Kayo
Fox Sports will carry all races in Australia for the 2023 season.
How to watch Formula 1 in India
- TV channel: N/A
- Live stream: F1 TV Pro
No TV broadcast network is currently set to host the action throughout this year in India, though Formula 1 has launched F1 TV Pro in the country for the first time so fans can live stream the action.
