10 things we learned from the 2022 Belgian F1 Grand Prix

Formula 1 reconvened after its 2022 summer break with the annual late-August trip to Spa-Francorchamps.

As we’ll cover later on, this event may well be hosted at a different time of the season for its one-year extension on the F1 calendar in 2023. But at the head of the grid it was business as usual.

Max Verstappen and Red Bull were utterly dominant even with the Dutchman saddled by an engine-change grid penalty, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc encountered yet more misfortune misery.

There were plenty of additional talking points from the weekend at Spa, which, even if not a classic race thanks to Verstappen’s astonishing supremacy, at least banished the memories of the washout farce from 2021.

Here are 10 things we learned from the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix.

1. Verstappen and Red Bull entering “2013” title territory

“The pace that we had with both Max and Checo was enough to easily pass Carlos and bring home probably one of the most dominant performances that we’ve had as a team since either 2010 or 2013.”

That was Christian Horner’s assessment of Red Bull’s performance across the weekend at Spa – evoking memories of Sebastian Vettel’s nine-race win streak to end the 2013 season that brought the German’s fourth straight title for the squad.

Red Bull had a particular advantage around the long Spa layout, but the confidence Verstappen currently has in the RB18 combined with Ferrari’s inability to resurrect its title charge is combining to ease his passage to a surely inevitable second world title now his points lead is 93 and over Perez not Leclerc. It was the latter that needed to win every race from Spa to Abu Dhabi to have a hope of winning the championship if Verstappen hit no trouble, but the Dutchman and his team are so good right now even starting at the back of the pack and having to fight back through it is of little concern.

Whether it’s the tight Hungaroring or the overtaking-friendly Spa, Verstappen can seemingly win from anywhere right now.

Red Bull were unbeatable at Spa this weekend

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

2. Spa’s set-up requirements favoured Red Bull

Red Bull has long had the class car package of the first season of F1’s new rules cycle, but things have generally been very close with Ferrari no matter what track type the…