Summary

  • Vettel wins after taking lead from Hamilton on first lap, Hamilton 2nd

  • Alonso crashes heavily after being launched into air

  • Alonso, Hulkenberg, Leclerc, Raikkonen, Ricciardo out

Live Reporting

Michael Emons

  1. Lap 41/44

    The brave battle is over for Sergio Perez. Four laps to go and he wilts under the pressure of Valtteri Bottas. The Finn goes the long way around and that is fourth for him.

    Vettel, Hamilton, Verstappen, Bottas is how it should finish now.

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  2. What's happened so far

    • Vettel overtakes Hamilton on the Kemmel Straight on the first lap and continues to lead
    • Alonso goes airborne and crashes, taking out Nico Hulkenberg (Renault) and Charles Leclerc (Sauber) causing the first safety car
    • Raikkonen and Ricciardo collide causing damage to both cars. Both have now retired because of damage.
    • Hamilton claims fastest lap
    • Verstappen following in third in what is a lonely race for him, and asks his team if there's any rain to spice things up. He is told no.
    • Bottas, who started 17th, is fifth sandwiched between the two Force Indias
    Belgian Grand PrixGetty Images
    Belgian Grand PrixGetty Images
    Belgian Grand PrixGetty Images
    Belgian Grand PrixRex Features
    Belgian Grand PrixRex Features

  3. Lap 39/44

    Force India's pairing of and Esteban Ocon are fourth and sixth. We expect Lance Stroll to be joining them from Williams, well, his dad has helped the takeover of the team after all, so Perez and Ocon may well be thinking they are both driving for their futures in the team.

    Sergio PerezGetty Images

  4. Lap 38/44

    Sergio Perez is given some encouraging words from his Force India team. "Bottas is only on the same pace as you."

    Two seconds the gap between Perez in fourth and Bottas in fifth and that could be where our excitement comes from.

    Vettel's lead over Hamilton at the front edges above the six-second mark.

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  5. Lap 37/44

    Sebastian Vettel will be very pleased with his afternoon's work. His team-mate Kimi Raikkonen on the other hand...

    Sebastian VettelEPA

  6. Mercedes slower on the straights than Ferrari

    Lap 36/44

    Jolyon Palmer
    Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live

    Mercedes' main loss to Vettel is their car is slower down the straights. F1 data is only compared to your teammate - that's the only two cars you have access to.

    But with GPS tracing you can see a little bit of what you're rivals are doing but it's not 100% accurate. Hamilton's team radio are giving him some information on where he needs to improve.

    Lewis HamiltonEPA

  7. Team radio - Bottas

    Lap 36/44

    Bottas is told: "Could be games to be played at the end of the race, you can still catch Perez."

  8. Lap 36/44

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    Still, this is going to be some effort if Hamilton can win this. Bottas on the other hand will be hoping he can get Perez in fourth.

    "I'm giving it everything, man", says Perez who is battling to hold off the Mercedes man.

  9. How they stand

    Lap 35/44

    1. Vettel
    2. Hamilton +5.22
    3. Verstappen +24.99
    4. Perez +28.47
    5. Bottas +4.33
    6. Ocon +4.99
    7. Grosjean +5.10
    8. Magnussen +7.73
    9. Gasly +6.82
    10. Ericsson +8.5
    Belgian Grand PrixGetty Images

  10. Lap 34/44

    Could do with a safety car to be honest.

  11. Lap 34/44

    Those hopes of a points finish for Sergey Sirotkin get a bit less likely. In a straight line he is caught and overtaken by Carlos Sainz, who gives it a comical 'boom' over the team radio.

    Still only 11th for the Renault man, who started 19th thanks to a late engine switch earlier this morning.

    Sergey SirotkinGetty Images

  12. Jack Nicholls
    Radio 5 live Formula 1 commentator

    What's for dinner? Verstappen is bored.

  13. Lap 33/44

    Jolyon Palmer
    Former Renault driver on BBC Radio 5 live

    Podium is ambitious for Bottas as Verstappen in his lonely race in third, has left a big gap, and fourth will be the best Bottas can make from sixth.

    Valtteri BottasGetty Images

  14. Lap 33/44

    Jennie Gow
    BBC Radio 5 live pit-lane reporter

    He's had to do another pit stop at lap 30. This is another frustrating race for Bottas. He's going to just make it into sixth ahead of Grosjean coming out of the pit lane. Fourth place is probably the best he can hope for.

  15. Max's rain prayers go unanswered

    Lap 33/44

    Max Verstappen, clearly getting a bit bored in a lonely third position, is asking for any chance of rain.

    Not for the next hour he is told, sadly.

    Max VerstappenGetty Images

  16. Ricciardo's team radio: "Box on this lap to retire"

  17. Ricciardo out

    Lap 31/44

    An opening lap shunt into the back of Kimi Raikkonen did not do Daniel Ricciardo much good. He managed to keep going but was always at least a lap down. With him being 16th and no chance of a points finish, Red Bull decide enough is enough and in he comes to the pits and out of the race he goes.

    Daniel RicciardoGetty Images

  18. Lap 31/44

    Sebastian Vettel's lead is now five seconds. Only a mistake or mechanical problem can deny him his fifth win of the season.

    Sebastian VettelEPA

  19. Get Involved

    #bbcf1

    Regular Jon: "#bbcf1 unfortunately Ferrari just have the quicker car today. Currently shaking my rain stick, send some of these UK showers across to Spa! #TeamLH"

    David Nicholsonhirst: "Hamilton will not give up but Vettel is easily managing this race. Applying pressure to push a mistake only way to win, happened with Vettel before though #bbcf1"

    Jamie Dunn: "Is Hamilton conserving an engine? This is a bit undramatic now... #BelgianGP#BBCF1"

  20. Lap 31/44

    It has taken Bottas 30 laps and he had got himself up to fourth, but now he comes in and returns back out there in sixth. Soft tyres for him.

    He will be hopeful of jumping past the two Force Indias, who continue to be fourth and fifth and on for a hefty points finish in their first race since being saved from bankruptcy.

    BottasGetty Images