The Belgian Grand Prix ended in a major upset, with one finishing first and another emerging, in the end, as the winner.
Race stewards disqualified leader George Russell because his Mercedes car was found to be three pounds lighter than the minimum vehicle weight limit of 1,700 pounds (798 kg) at any point during the race.
With that, first place went to his compatriot and “teammate” Lewis Hamilton (he was second), with Australian Oscar Piastri (McLaren) in second and Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) in third.
In turn, three-time world champion Max Verstappen, who started from 11th place due to the ten-place penalty imposed on him, managed to “climb” to fifth place.
The Dutchman moved past Lando Norris into sixth place and extended his lead in the drivers’ standings.
On a crucial day for his future, Sergio Perez, who started second, was dropped to eighth, while one of his potential replacements at Red Bull, Daniel Ricciardo, came very close to qualifying by finishing 11th for RB.