Max Verstappen won the first Formula 1 race since Christian Horner was sacked as Red Bull team principal in Belgium on Saturday.
Eighteen days after Horner was told his 20-year stint had ended, Verstappen secured Red Bull's first win since its triumph at Imola on May 18.
Verstappen started the race from second place, but overtook pole position holder Oscar Piastri on the first lap and then kept the world championship leader at bay.
Verstappen crossed the line at Spa-Francorchamps just 0.753 seconds ahead of Piastri, with Lando Norris, who started third, finishing in the same position, giving Piastri the opportunity to extend his championship lead from eight to nine points ahead of qualifying for the main round on Sunday.
Horner's shock sacking from Red Bull after two decades in charge shocked the sporting world, and the Belgian Grand Prix was the first Formula One event in 406 races he watched from his sofa rather than a Red Bull pit stop.
Verstappen split the McLaren drivers in qualifying and joined Piastri on the front row. Piastri made a good start, keeping Verstappen behind on the short section to La Source, but the Dutchman, with a low-downforce rear wing that provides more speed through Eau Rouge and on the Kemmel straight, moved sharply left and passed Piastri under braking for Les Combes.
A little further on, Norris, six tenths behind Piastri in qualifying, perhaps braked too cautiously at the same corner and gave way to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who dropped him to fourth.
On lap four, Norris passed Leclerc to retake third place, and by lap ten he was just half a second behind his teammate Piastri – the top three were just over a second behind.
With four laps to go, Piastri was closer than ever and Verstappen was forced off the line under braking for Les Combes.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
