The 12th round of the 2023 Formula One season is upon us!
Red Bull hold a commanding lead at the top of the constructors’ championship while Max Verstappen’s dominance in the drivers’ championship is even more pronounced.
With the fastest cars and drivers in motorsport ready to zip around the track again at the Belgium Grand Prix, here are the Top 10 stats you need to know…
1. Verstappen, the current championship leader, heads into the race with a 110-point lead over his teammate, Sergio Perez. That’s the biggest championship margin going into the Belgian GP under the current points system.
2. The reigning champion is set to make his 152nd start with Red Bull at the 2023 Belgian GP, surpassing Kimi Raikkonen to secure third place on the all-time list of most starts with a single constructor
3. Another win for Red Bull would make them the first team to win the opening 12 rounds of a season, surpassing McLaren’s record of 11 set in 1988.
4. Fernando Alonso is set to become the first driver to make 18 appearances at Spa Francorchamps
5. Ferrari has secured pole position on just six occasions in the last 45 Belgian GPs.
6. Esteban Ocon has scored on every visit to Belgium since 2017, and Pierre Gasly has a 100% scoring record at this circuit.
7. Lewis Hamilton, with 321 race starts, is set to join Rubens Barrichello joint-third on the all-time list if he starts this weekend’s race
8. The venue for the race, the iconic Spa-Francorchamps, is the longest circuit on the calendar at a length of 7.004 km and also boasts the biggest elevation change in the sport – 102.2mbetweenitshighestand lowest points. The elevation difference is higher than the Elizabeth Tower in London, more famously called the Big Ben
9. With an average speed of 249 kph, it’s the fifth-fastest circuit in F1 after Monza, Jeddah, Silverstone and Mugello
10. Spa’s track characteristics allow for plenty of overtaking opportunities on race day. This venue has seen an average of 36 overtakes per race in the hybrid era.
All stats are compiled by @f1statsguru who you can follow on Instagram and Twitter.
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