Here’s a quick look at what you can expect this weekend at the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix.

The Belgium Grand Prix has proven to be one of the trickiest race weekends on the calendar. While the track itself is challenging and dangerous, the wet conditions take it to a whole new level.

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Mercedes has introduced a number of upgrades to catch up to the McLaren, while Red Bull continues to disappear into the distance. However, a grid penalty for Max Verstappen may make things interesting come Sunday.

If you’re looking forward to this weekend’s race, here’s a quick look at what to expect around the iconic circuit in Belgium.

Grid Penalty for Verstappen

Max Verstappen has had one of the most dominant runs in Formula 1 history, breaking a number of records in the process. However, a new gearbox sends the Dutchman down the order for the Grand Prix on Sunday.

A five-place grid penalty means that Max will start in sixth place, with Leclerc and Perez on the front row. While we all know that Max has the car to slice through the field effortlessly, Perez being high up makes that a bit more challenging.

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Mercedes on the Hunt

McLaren has come out of nowhere to eclipse the Mercedes with a radical set of upgrades. While Hamilton managed to split the McLarens in both Silverstone and Hungary, the team from Brackley introduced several upgrades this weekend to solidify their position as best of the rest.

Hamilton has won the Belgian Grand Prix on four occasions, but is struggling with confidence around the track in the W14. This is made even worse by the wet weather conditions. Regardless, Hamilton’s W14 has been pushing to the limit and was in contention for a top three start in both qualifying and the sprint shootout. If this pace translates to race pace, Hamilton could be on for another podium finish at Spa.

A Ferrari Comeback

Ferrari has had a dismal start to the season. Regardless, there have been small signs of pace in the last few races. This has been even more evident in Spa as Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz both held provisional pole at some point during qualifying.

At the end of qualifying, Charles finished P2 with an incredibly competitive time. This sees him start the race at the front of the grid as Max has a grid penalty. The question on everyone’s mind is if the Ferrari has improved its race pace to maintain the lead during the race.

All Eyes on Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo made his debut in the 2023 season last weekend in Hungary. While the Australian didn’t manage to take home points, he out-qualified his teammate and finished in P13, ahead of Yuki Tsunoda.

Ricciardo continued his dominance over Yuki during qualifying at Spa as he briefly held P4 before his time was deleted. This puts him at the back in P19. However, with more pace under his belt, all eyes will be on Ricciardo to see if he can slice his way to the points.