"The car was really on rails" - Max Verstappen tops 'incredible' weekend with win at 2022 F1 Belgian GP

Max Verstappen won the 2022 F1 Belgian GP despite starting P14 on the grid. The Dutchman showed off his incredible pace and went on to win after an engine penalty pushed him down the order.

Red Bull were in a league of their own at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, with Sergio Perez finishing in P2 to give the team yet another 1-2 finish this season. Verstappen put in the fastest lap in Saturday's qualifying, but pole position went to Carlos Sainz, who finished the race in P3 despite having started ahead of everyone.

Meanwhile, the reigning world champion's title rival Charles Leclerc finished the race in P5, unable to pip Verstappen in the main race. Surprisingly, Leclerc was unable to get past George Russell's Mercedes, which hadn't been particularly fast all weekend.

Speaking to Martin Brundle in parc fermé, Max Verstappen said:

“It was quite a hectic first lap to try and stay out of trouble, quite a few things were happening in front of me. But once we settled after the safety car the car was really on rails. Picked the right places to pass people and could look after our tyres and that’s how we made our way forward. And after that, it was all about managing everything. This whole weekend has been incredible.”

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Max Verstappen now nearly 100 points clear of Charles Leclerc in drivers' standings

Max Verstappen now stands 98 points clear of Charles Leclerc in the drivers' standings, making a first title win highly unlikely for the Ferrari driver. To make matters worse for Leclerc, Sergio Perez has now passed him in the drivers' standings by five points, giving Red Bull a dream-like result.

With his current form, the Dutchman is likely to take his second world championship title, joining the likes of Fernando Alonso in the total championship tally. His dominant performances throughout the season have made him and Red Bull the clear fan favorites to win both titles. It is to be noted that Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps suits the RB18 more than any other car on the grid, making the Austrian team's 1-2 finish slightly less surprising. With Zandvoort coming up next weekend, however, Ferrari can hope to cut into Red Bull's points haul as the track is likely to suit their 2022 challenger a lot more than Spa-Francorchamps.

Speaking of his upcoming home race, Max Verstappen said:

“Let’s see what we can do there. I mean of course I am going to enjoy it today and we’ll see next week what we can do.”

With eight races to go, time is running out for Ferrari in both championships. It seems like smooth sailing here on for Red Bull and Verstappen in 2022.