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The 2023 F1 Belgian GP will be the last race before the summer break. This will be the first time we have a sprint weekend at Spa and that should make things even more interesting. It also does appear that the weather could play a role in how the weekend unfolds as well.
Overall, the race weekend is going to expecting as tends to be the case at Spa. What can we expect from the weekend? Let's take a look.
#1 Max Verstappen dominates the 2023 F1 Belgian GP weekend
While this might disappoint a lot of fans of other teams but the race in Spa is going to prove to be a true showcase for Red Bull and Max Verstappen.
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The Dutch driver was untouchable last year on this track and since then the car has only gotten better and the gap to the rest has only increased. The track is heaven for cars with great top speeds and fast speed efficiency. This is Red Bull territory through and through and unlike Hungary where Verstappen lost pole position, that's not going to happen here either.
Such is the advantage of the Red Bull machinery that it won't be a surprise if both Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen have an easy cruise to a '1-2' finish at the 2023 F1 Belgian GP.
#2 McLaren and Ferrari will be scrabbling for the podium battle
Ferrari struggled a lot in the last couple of races in Silverstone and Hungary but the race in Spa could potentially play in its favor.
The challenger for the Italian brand might struggle a bit in high temperatures but one key strength for the car has been its straight-line efficiency. For the 2023 F1 Belgian GP Charles Leclerc could be a podium contender.
McLaren on the other hand is going to be very impressive as well. The fast speed in Sector 2 and Sector 3 means both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri can exploit the car's fast speed efficiency. It's highly likely that behind Red Bull we could see a potential Ferrari vs McLaren battle for the podium at the 2023 F1 Belgian GP.
#3 Mercedes will have a somewhat disappointing weekend
Long straights and Mercedes don't go hand in hand these days and it was evident in Austria as well. While Mercedes could crawl back some significant laptime in S2 and S3 the loss in S1 is going to hurt for sure.
The 2023 F1 Belgian GP might not be the biggest hunting ground for Mercedes as the German squad could potentially struggle for competitiveness this weekend.
#4 If it rains, Nico Hulkenberg from Haas will be a factor
The last time rain played a role during a sprint weekend we had Nico Hulkenberg scoring points for Haas in a car that was barely hanging on in the fight. To add to this, Hulkenberg's brilliance in the wet can be seen even a week prior when he qualified his car on the front row in Canada.
The German has hit a purple patch this season with Haas and has been very impressive in qualifying. If it rains, it placates some of the tire degradation issues that Haas faces. It also gives the German a chance to make the most of the sprint weekend as well.
If the rain plays a role during the 2023 F1 Belgian GP weekend then Nico Hulkenberg is going to do something impressive for the American team.
#5 A wet weather weekend will make the sprint weekend more fun
The season has not been the best because of the lack of battle at the front of the grid. Red Bull has ruled the sport this season and won every race. Having said that, there's no denying that rain could prove to be this great equalizer for everyone which makes things interesting.
Sure Max Verstappen will continue to be the favourite but the unpredictability factor as well as the possibility of a freak result will surely make things very interesting for the fans.
