Formula 1: what about the summer break?

While in 2022 this stage marked the second part of the season, this time the race in Spa was the final one before the summer break. At the thirteenth stage, as well as throughout the season, Red Bull and Max Verstappen dictated the terms. The Dutch driver won again and set his sights on breaking another unique Formula 1 record.

Max Verstappen is truly on top of the world. In Spa, he won the qualifying session, but was penalized for a box change and had to start from 6th position. And it was thought that it would be difficult for him to fight for first place. However, such circumstances did not prevent the 25-year-old Max from winning his eighth F1 race in a row. Verstappen's winning streak is the longest since 2013 and the second longest in Grand Prix history, and the two-time world champion came close to beating Michael Schumacher, Alberto Ascari, and Nico Rosberg (who won seven straight) and breaking Sebastian Vettel's absolute record, who won nine in a row in 2013.

The Red Bull team is also out of competition. The thirteenth consecutive victory for the Bulls is a new record in the history of Formula 1. The Austrian stable remains one step ahead of its rivals. This was confirmed by Max Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez. The Mexican finished second at the Spa stage. This is Red Bull's fifth double of the season. Perez himself ended his difficult period of ups and downs in a big way.

After unsuccessful races in the UK and Hungary, Ferrari returned to the podium. Charles Leclerc was fortunate enough to start from the pole position. The Frenchman managed to fight with dignity against Perez and repel all of Lewis Hamilton's attacks. Leclerc's car showed good speed and drove much better than it had in the previous stages. Leclerc finished third. Scuderia could have counted on more points at this Grand Prix. However, Leclerc's teammate Carlos Sainz had a small accident at the first corner, which later prevented the Spaniard from continuing the race.

The Spa circuit is demanding of the car's efficiency. And this is exactly what Lewis Hamilton had problems with. The Briton managed to hold on to fourth place, but he did not have enough technical ability to squeeze more out of the car and fight for the podium. After the race, the Mercedes driver would complain that the car showed signs of problems that were present last season. However, there are also positive aspects for Hamilton: thanks to the bonus for the best lap time, the Briton was able to get closer to his longtime rival Fernando Alonso in the race for third place in the overall standings. There is only one point between the two drivers now in favour of the Spaniard.

The Aston Martin team is also not lagging behind and should be happy with the race in Belgium. Both cars finished the stage in the points. Fernando Alonso finished fifth, and Lance Stroll finished ninth. The Spaniard managed to leave one of the Mercedes cars and one of the McLaren cars behind. The team has made significant progress compared to last season and improved morale after a difficult performance at the Hungaroring circuit last weekend.

McLaren continues to be plagued by troubles. The last few weeks seemed to be productive. Successful upgrades brought the team three consecutive top 5s and 2 podiums. Oscar Piastri finished second in the Belgian weekend sprint. However, the reality of the main race in Belgium was unfortunate for McLaren. Oscar Piastri got into an accident at the beginning of the race and dropped out of the race. Lando Norris took seventh place. Such a result hardly energizes the team.

Formula One has a summer break ahead. And the equator of the 2023 season outlined a clear favourite for the championship title and promises interesting prospects for the fight for second place, both in the individual driver standings and in the Constructors' Cup. Undoubtedly, Red Bull this season seems to be from another planet. They managed to realize all their ideas in their car. And Max Verstappen is the fastest on any track and in any weather conditions. That is why the number one position in the individual and team standings is unlikely to change. But otherwise, the fight promises to be very interesting.

Sergio Perez's second place cannot be considered unshakable. After all, two or three successful races of competitors can change the balance of power in the individual standings. Meanwhile, in the Constructors' Cup, the fight between Mercedes, Aston Martin and Ferrari is just getting underway. At the same time, we should not abandon McLaren. The team can return to the fight and has repeatedly demonstrated its capabilities.

That's why the summer break is not for relaxation, but for motivation and solution ideas for the second half of the season. Formula 1 is going on a month-long pause and fans of the Royal Racing will have to live without racing until the end of the month. On August 27, the race will take place in the Netherlands, the home stage for Max Verstappen.