Motorsport

MAX VERSTAPPEN is set to be slapped with a five-place grid penalty for Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix.That is after the reigning world champion reportedly installed a fifth gearbox of the season for the upcoming race.
Max Verstappen will take the five-place grid penalty at the Belgian GPCredit: Reuters
And that means he has exceeded the allocated limit of four per driver’s car in the Formula One season and therefore cannot start any higher than sixth on the grid at Spa on Sunday afternoon.
Qualifying takes place today to determine the starting positions, with a separate sprint qualifying and sprint race tomorrow – which means Verstappen can start on pole for that.
Red Bull remain confident they can get through the season using just the four for his team-mate Sergio Perez, though.
The team suffered issues with Verstappen’s gear box at the Saudi Arabian GP in Jeddah back in March.
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However, it has barely held the Dutch driver back in 2023.
Verstappen has won a staggering nine of the 11 races so far – coming second to Perez in Saudi and Azerbaijan as Red Bull extended their record winning run to 12 at the Hungarian GP last time out where the only dampener was having his trophy smashed by Lando Norris.
That sees him hold a whopping 110-point lead at the top of the drivers’ standings.
There are still 11 races left in the 2023 campaign, which concludes in Abu Dhabi on November 26.
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And Verstappen will be confident he can continue his dominant stretch to wrap up a hat-trick of world titles.
But he faces an uphill task to claim the chequered flag at Spa this weekend in the final race before the summer break – although few would bet against the 25-year-old storming through the pack yet again.
Especially because Verstappen started the 2022 Belgian GP from 14th after taking the punishment for more new engine parts… and still roared to a 17.8-second victory.
Verstappen has been utterly dominant in 2023 and holds a 110-point leadCredit: Getty More

PIERRE GASLY led the tributes as Formula One stars paid their respects in memory of Anthonie Hubert and Danilo van ‘t Hoff ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix. Hubert was just 22 years old when he tragically lost his life at an F2 event at Spa in 2019.
Pierre Gasly led the tributes after organising a run in memory of Anthonie Hubert and Danilo van ‘t HoffCredit: Getty
Gasly invited personnel from F1, F2 and F3 to participateCredit: Getty
Hubert was 22 when he died at Spa in 2019Credit: Getty
Hoff was just 18 when he lost his life at Spa in a FRECA event at the start of the JulyCredit: Rex
They commenced the run through a rain-soaked SpaCredit: Getty
And the world of motorsport was reminded about the dangers of the circuit after 18-year-old Hoff became the 49th soul to lose their life at the track following an incident in FRECA at the start of July.
But with F1 due to compete this weekend, Gasly – a close friend of Hubert – organised a run in memory of the drivers.
The Frenchman invited all F1, F2 and F3 personnel to compete in the run, with Gasly admitting he felt it was the best way he can pay tribute to Hubert.
He said: “I’m someone that is emotional.
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“I think I link places with emotions, and I’ve had the worst emotions of my life here. But at the same time, it’s one of my favourite tracks, so it’s very contradictory.
“I love this track, and I love racing this track, but at the same time I’ll never forget what I felt going down these stairs [in the paddock] when my parents told me the news.
“It’s obviously tough, but I accept the sport that we do, and it’s things you have got to live with. It’s also life, as sad as it can be.”
Gasly was joined by a large group for the rain-drenched tribute run of the track, including Zhou Guanyu and Juan Manuel Correra, who made an inspirational recovery after being involved in the same crash that killed Hubert.
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Flowers were laid at the site of the crashesCredit: Getty
Gasly revealed ‘there isn’t a race day that passes that I don’t think of him’ in 2021Credit: Getty
The mother of Hoff was also laying seen laying flowers in memory of her sonCredit: Getty
Alfa Romeo driver Zhou Guanyu was present for the run tooCredit: Getty
Correa broke both legs, suffered spine damage and was placed into a coma after the devastating crash four years ago, but made his return to the F2 grid this season.
Alpine driver Gasly said that while the run may not seem important to the wider world, it was “meaningful” to him.
He then went on to reveal the idea had been organised long before the tragic death of Hoff, saying: “It might be small things for people, but it’s a lot bigger for me, and a lot more meaningful.
“It was a conversation which started early in the season. Everybody knows how close I was with Anthoine and I think they all know also how close he was with the team.
“This was organised well before the tragic incident which happened a couple of weeks ago.
“But I just think it’s great that we all as a community, when these things happen, everyone that is a part of Formula 1, whether it’s F2 or F3, the racing family comes together.”
Gasly, 27, was pictured laying flowers at the site of the crash on the Kemmel Straight, with the mother of Hoff also seen doing the same for her son.
The safety of Spa has come into the spotlight ahead of the race with rain expected to fall all weekend.
I’ve had the worst emotions of my life here. But at the same time, it’s one of my favourite tracksPierre Gasly
And it has led to a very real risk of the race being cancelled altogether.
George Russell, head of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, said: “The FIA have to be bold with their decisions when it comes to safety, especially visibility.
“We know what the situation was two years ago, we don’t want it to be strung out as perhaps it was then.
“Everybody wants to race but when you’re going down that straight at 200 mph and you can’t see 50 metres in front of you, there will be huge incidents. They’ve got a big responsibility this weekend.
“For one single F1 car to drive around, the conditions are safe enough and suitable enough to drive.
“But it’s when you’ve got 20 cars on track at once. Anybody from third position backwards literally cannot see.
“I felt like the incident that happened in FRECA, it was only really a matter of time before something like that happened.
“Drivers aren’t going flat out in the straight because they can’t see. Somebody gets rear-ended and then there’s a car in the middle of the track.”
Juan Manuel Correa, who suffered two broken legs in the crash which claimed Hubert’s life, laid flowers tooCredit: Getty
George Russell called the safety of Spa into question with rain set to fall all weekendCredit: Splash
F1 were forced to cancel the event in 2021 after just three laps with poor visibility from wet weather leaving drivers unable to see.
Russell added: “It is about constant communication with the FIA following the tragic passing of Dilano. The two questions are is Spa safe enough and then it’s the question of the conditions.
“If you were to put a ranking of risk of all of the circuits, for sure Spa is one of the riskier circuits, along with Jeddah, along with Monaco, for example.
“When you’ve got a combination of the weather, it’s very challenging. It’s the visibility, we just have no visibility whatsoever.
“The way I describe it to try and give some perspective is driving down the motorway in pouring rain and turning your windscreen wipers off.
“The fact is we are probably not going to find the solution for better visibility for years to come. It’s challenging, it’s really not easy.
“And I fear a little bit for the junior categories now, I truly think F3 should not be allowed 30 cars on track at one time at any point, even in dry conditions.
“I think it’s a matter of time before we have a big accident there too.”
In 2021 Gasly wrote in the Players Tribune on the passing of Hubert: “His dreams were my dreams. My dreams were his dreams. And that moment was our moment.
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“Anthoine taught me so many things. There isn’t a race day that passes that I don’t think of him…
“I’m so lucky to be here, to be doing what I’m doing. And I’m so lucky to have known Anthoine Hubert. I will carry his dreams, his ambitions, with me everywhere I go. I love you, buddy.”
Complete F1 2023 race calendar – details on every Grand Prix this year More

FORMULA ONE drivers have raised safety concerns about this week’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa – with rain expected all weekend at the treacherous track.Dutch driver Dilano van ‘t Hoff died here earlier this month as a result of a crash in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine [FRECA] series.
F1 stars have raised safety concerns ahead of the Belgian Grand PrixCredit: Getty
Rain is expected all weekend at the circuitCredit: Getty
Dutch driver Danilo van ‘t Hoff tragically lost his life at the circuit earlier this monthCredit: Rex
The 18-year-old was the 49th racing driver to perish at this circuit and it came after F2 driver Anthoine Hubert died in a similar accident in 2019.
F1 were forced to scrap the Belgium GP here in 2021 due to poor conditions and with more bad weather expected, George Russell says it is important the FIA make the right safety call.
He said: “The FIA have to be bold with their decisions when it comes to safety, especially visibility. We know what the situation was two years ago, we don’t want it to be strung out as perhaps it was then.
“Everybody wants to race but when you’re going down that straight at 200 mph and you can’t see 50 metres in front of you, there will be huge incidents. They’ve got a big responsibility this weekend.
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“For one single F1 car to drive around, the conditions are safe enough and suitable enough to drive.
“But it’s when you’ve got 20 cars on track at once. Anybody from third position backwards literally cannot see.
“I felt like the incident that happened in FRECA, it was only really a matter of time before something like that happened.
“Drivers aren’t going flat out in the straight because they can’t see. Somebody gets rear-ended and then there’s a car in the middle of the track.
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F2 driver Anthonie Hubert died in a similar accident at the track in 2019Credit: Rex Features
George Russell has spoken on the danger of racing in wet conditions at SpaCredit: Splash
“Obviously to have a race cancelled is not perfect for anybody. But we don’t want to see a huge incident like we’ve just seen.”
Russell heads up the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association and is in dialogue with the FIA about the circuit’s safety.
He added: “It is about constant communication with the FIA following the tragic passing of Dilano. The two questions are is Spa safe enough and then it’s the question of the conditions.
“If you were to put a ranking of risk of all of the circuits, for sure Spa is one of the riskier circuits, along with Jeddah, along with Monaco, for example.
“When you’ve got a combination of the weather, it’s very challenging. It’s the visibility, we just have no visibility whatsoever.
“The way I describe it to try and give some perspective is driving down the motorway in pouring rain and turning your windscreen wipers off.
“The fact is we are probably not going to find the solution for better visibility for years to come. It’s challenging, it’s really not easy.
“And I fear a little bit for the junior categories now, I truly think F3 should not be allowed 30 cars on track at one time at any point, even in dry conditions.
“I think it’s a matter of time before we have a big accident there too.”
Russell’s Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton however, says he is not troubled by the circuit’s lethal past.
He added: “It’s not something I ever think of. I think as a driver, it’s not something you can ever let really enter your mind.
“But trust in what the FIA are doing. I don’t think we would be here if they did not think we would be safe.”
Meanwhile, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc said he would like to see changes made to the track to improve safety.
He said: “There are some changes that could make a difference. First of all, the walls on the straight after Eau Rouge, we should have a bit more space on the left and right.
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“If you lose control of the car, the way it is done at the moment you are bouncing on the walls and you have a very high chance of finding yourself in the way.
“This is probably a change we should consider in the future.”
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FORMULA ONE have demanded MILLIONS from hotel owners to allow punters to watch the Las Vegas Grand Prix from their hotels.The first ever Las Vegas Grand Prix will take place in November this year, with viewers able to watch the cars zip around the iconic Vegas strip.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix is due to be the most expensive Grand Prix of all timeCredit: Getty
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez drove on the Las Vegas strip as part of promo for the raceCredit: Getty
The track will take in some of Vegas’ most iconic land marksCredit: Getty
The race will pass by a number of iconic landmarks including the MSG Sphere – which will open in September – as well as Treasure Island, The Mirage, the Bellagio Hotel and Caesars Palace.
The track design is 3.8 miles long from start to finish with top speeds estimated to be over 212 mph.
According to The New York Post, F1 bosses are demanding that hotels with a roof terrace, viewing platform or bar that overlooks the track pay £1,167-per-head to have the required licence to watch the race.
That would mean a hotel with a 1,500 seating capacity would pay £1.75million to ‘show’ the event.
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The report claims that if hotel owners refuse to comply, F1 bosses will ensure they build barricades, stands and light stanchions that will obscure the view of the race from hotels.
A source told The New York Post that: “They are literally shaking people down saying they will obstruct views unless they pay them.
“It seems insane that they are asking money for a public event that is taking place in the streets.”
F1 bosses have reportedly threatened to shine lights into the viewing platforms of hotels that do not pay the licence fee, meaning punters will be unable to view the night time race.
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The worry is that casino and hotel bosses will simply pass the cost of the licence fee onto customers for what is already a very expensive event to attend.
The act of asking for a licence fee from hotel and casinos is common practice in F1, given the precedent set by the Monaco Grand Prix.
Hotel and casino owners worry that the cost of a trip to Las Vegas will be so expensive for high-rolling customers that they will be scared off coming back – losing establishments much coveted repeat business.
Proprietors are already angry that the Las Vegas strip will shut down to construct the track – and they fear asking owners to pay up on top of this is simply too far.
Ticket packages for Las Vegas have not yet sold out – with Las Vegas being the most expensive race of the year.
The price of an average weekend ticket is £5,167, almost 50% more expensive than the Miami Grand Prix which prices at £3,137.
Las Vegas is the third American track to be added to the F1 season, following Miami and Austin.
The three of them represent the most expensive Grand Prix’s to attend for punters.
The most expensive non-American circuit to attend is the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. More