3 reasons you should watch the Belgian Grand Prix

The odds suggest the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa is a foregone conclusion. Lewis Hamilton sits atop the Driver’s Championship with a comfortable 37-point lead having won four of the last five races this year. It is no surprise the Englishman is the betting favorite to add yet another win to his name in Spa.

But there is more to the race than a mere victory lap for Hamilton. Here are three reasons to tune into the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend.

1) More Mercedes magic

Yes, Hamilton is one of those reasons! He won the last race in Spain with so much style he lapped almost every other car on the track – with Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas the only exceptions. Hamilton is now the all-time podium record-holder with 156 and is looking as supreme as ever in the Mercedes.

Mercedes have held pole position in eight of the last nine Grand Prix’s and since 2014 in Belgium, only once has the man on front in the grid failed to win. That’s a great sign for the team who can continue their dominance of this year’s championship.

While Hamilton cruises though, Bottas has sometimes crumbled. He put in the fastest lap in Spain yet again, but was beaten by Max Verstappen for the fourth race in a row. They are both +350 to win in Belgium but the battle between the pair even for second place could be a thriller.

2) Racing Point out to prove a point

Racing Point had two drivers finish in the Top 5 in the last Grand Prix in Spain and have continued to outshine McLaren this season.

Sergio Perez returned from his isolation due to COVID-19 to post a fantastic fifth place finish, while Lance Stroll yet again put in an incredible effort to finish fourth – Racing Point’s highest finish in Spain.

While off the track Racing Point await the verdict of their 15-point punishment due to accusation of copying Mercedes’ break ducts, on the track the pink team is starting to shine.

Stroll has never finished better than 10th at Spa, with Perez getting as high as fifth there in previous years. They are huge longshots to win on Sunday, but a Top 4 finish for one of them could be in the cards.

3) Ferrari on the up in Spa

It’s been a tough watch for Ferrari fans this year, with the car simply not having the pace to match its competitors.

Last time in Spain they almost had something to smile about as Sebastian Vettel finished seventh – his best finish since Hungary – and teammate Charles LeClerc looked set for a possible Top 6 finish until a mechanical issue saw him retire after 38 laps.

Excluding two retirements this year, LeClerc has performed exceptionally well in the Ferrari with two podium finishes, while Vettel put in an incredible drive in Barcelona to put in more laps than anyone else on soft tires and defend his position.

Ferrari have a great record in Spa with Vettel winning in 2018 and LeClerc in 2019, and while either of them winning this weekend is about as likely as me going on a date with Emilia Clarke, Ferrari fans will be hoping for another step up in improvement.