Belgian Grand Prix: 9 things you need to know as Alonso escapes horror crash

After rain on Saturday turned qualifying into rain-induced chaos, Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix was dry – in every sense of the word.

After a spectacular start the race settled down and never really sparked into a thriller – though it could have huge ramifications for this world championship as Sebastian Vettel got the better of Lewis Hamilton.

Here’s how they finished, and everything you need to know from the race:

1. Alonso launched skywards in terrifying crash at turn 1

An opening lap shunt is not unusual at Spa, and there was another one today that looked spectacular – and absolutely terrifying.

Starting from way down the back of the grid Nico Hulkenberg failed to stop his Renault and rammed Fernando Alonso from behind, sending the McLaren up and over the top of Charles Leclerc’s Sauber, before smashing down on the other side of it in a hale of carbon fibre shards.

They all walked away unscathed, though it did put them all out of the race – a shame especially for Alonso on possibly his last ever Grand Prix at this track.

2. The Halo does it’s job

Leclerc and the F1 community in general will be hugely thankful that the sport’s chiefs pushed ahead with the Halo device this season.

The real time footage of Alonso spinning over Leclerc’s head looked scary enough, but the image of the tyre marks on his Halo after wards showed just how nasty this one could have been, were it not for the controversial safety device.

3. Seb has the last laugh

Lewis Hamilton took a superb pole position on Saturday, but today in the race he was a sitting duck for Sebastian Vettel, who got past him on the very first lap down the Kemmel Straight.

Thereafter Hamilton just could not catch the German in the red car. He got close by pitting a lap earlier for new tyres, but that was as good as it got and he was forced to settle for second.

Hamilton still has a 17-point lead in the championship, but with the Ferrari now looking the quicker package, is Vettel now the favourite to take the title?

4. Force India make their Racing Point

Administration, a change of ownership and even a chance they would not have been allowed to race this weekend because of complicated legal/businessy stuff.

But ‘Racing Point’ Force India showed they are a great team by locking out the second row in qualifying and then finishing fifth and sixth in the race to hoover up 18 points in one go.

Not only does that show they are back on track and a well-performing team, it also means that despite losing all their points going into this race, they are now already back in front of Williams and only one point off Sauber.

5. Kimi and Danny don't make the flag

Kimi Raikkonen – as usual – looked super quick all weekend until Q3 when it went wrong for him. Things went from bad to worse for the Finn in the opening lap when he got tagged by Daniel Ricciardo, picked up a puncture and was eventually forced to retire.

As for Ricciardo, he lost most of his front wing in the contact with Kimi, and lost his rear wing when Alonso clipped it off as he flew past in his accident.

He got back to the pits and they put another set of wings on, but he retired on lap 31 when he was 16th and a lap down.

6. Spa was orange for Max

Local(ish) boy Max Verstappen drove a great race. Starting from seventh he fought his way up to the podium to finish third behind Set and Lewis.

Most of the grandstands looked like they’d been Tango’d (look it up) given how much orange was on show from the Max fans. If we ever do get a Dutch Grand Prix, we’re all going to need dark glasses just to watch it…

7. Bottas does a Webber

Valtteri Bottas started right at the back of the grid because of engine penalties, and set about working his way through the grid in his lightening quick Mercedes, eventually finishing fourth.

His most impressive pass though was on Brendon Hartley, going through Eau Rouge/Raidillon, in what was almost a carbon copy of Mark Webber’s breathtaking move on Fernando Alonso back in 2011.

8. Haas go well again

After Force India, Haas were once again the stars of the midfield, with Romain Grosjean leading home Kevin Magnussen for a 7-8 finish and another very decent haul of points.

After a tricky start to the season, is Grosjean now doing enough to suggest he might be able to hang on to that seat after all?

9. Vandoorne trails home last. Again.

Oh dear.

Yes, Max Verstappen is half Belgian, but Stoffel Vandoorne is 100 per cent Belgian, yet his fans were somewhat drowned out by Max’s orange army.

Perhaps it is no wonder, given that the Stoff was slowest of all in qualifying yesterday and trailed home dead last in the race today.

He is no doubt a fine racing driver, but he needs to change something (perhaps his team?) quickly if he is to retain any perception of that.