Belgian Grand Prix: Formula One Updates From Spa – Live

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Amid a turbulent play for Red Bull, their caller squad principal, Laurent Mekies, is base nan work and nan scrutiny, for nan infinitesimal astatine least, pinch a smile.

After 2 weeks successful complaint since nan dismissal of Christian Horner, Mekies and Red Bull are adjusting to a caller era pinch a business arsenic accustomed cognition moreover arsenic nan circumstances propose it tin beryllium thing but, earlier this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix.

“The timing is bloody bizarre,” nan pundit Martin Brundle says connected Sky Sports of Horner’s departure. “You mightiness person thought it was thing to do successful nan adjacent season. But it is what it is.”

“He was losing soul support,” claims Nico Rosberg. “Key group were leaving … truthful they decided to propulsion nan trigger.”

“Verstappen will decidedly enactment adjacent year,” says Naomi Schiff. “While Red Bull racing is simply a successful team, Red Bull [the drink] is astatine nan halfway of it. This is their biggest trading activity … they person intelligibly gone backwards, they request to spell forwards, nan full squad needs to rebuild, and rebuild their image.”

Preamble

The buildup to nan Belgian expansive prix has been dominated by Christian Horner’s caller departure from Red Bull, and that hasn’t changed this weekend: though an existent expansive prix will displacement corporate attraction to nan athletics alternatively than off-track politics.

Lando Norris – having a mixed play to opportunity nan slightest – grabbed rod position for McLaren yesterday while Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who has won 5 times astatine Spa successful his illustrious career, could only negociate 16th connected nan grid aft what he termed an “unacceptable” error. “Definitely a play to forget,” said nan seven-times world champion. “I’ve sewage to look internally and apologise to nan team.” Norris’s rod followed up victory astatine nan British expansive prix earlier this period erstwhile his teammate, Oscar Piastri, claimed he was unfairly denied by a punishment for braking erratically during a safety-car restart.

Max Verstappen of Red Bull, having won nan earlier sprint race, took 4th connected nan grid while Piastri is 2nd successful a McLaren one-two. Charles Leclerc, Hamilton’s Ferrari teammate, starts third. There should beryllium plentifulness of intrigue, not slightest successful judging really Laurent Mekies, Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda’s caller squad principal, originates his quest to capable Horner’s shoes.

Lights out: 2pm UK time