Belgian GP: Positive race for Williams Martini

The grid for the forty four lap 2018 Belgian Grand Prix would see Williams Martini driver Sergey Sirotkin and Lance Stroll start from 15th and 16th. They had qualified lower than this but other drivers had received grid penalties. On pole from Hamilton from Vettel, Ocon, Perez, Grosjean, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Ricciardo, Magnussen and Gasly tenth. At the rear of the grid would be Bottas, Hulkenberg, Sainz and Vandoorne who all had grid penalties. The start of the race would be under dry conditions with the top ten cars all on the supersoft tyre. The final ten cars would all be on the soft tyre for the start including both Williams cars.

The grid would move off and would complete their parade lap and form up on the grid. With the lights going out it would be Hamilton leading but the first corner Les Combes would see Alonso flying through the air having made contact with another car but at the front Vettel would get past Hamilton Hulkenberg had hit Alonso's car sending it over Leclerc's Sauber. Raikkonen would also suffer a right rear puncture as the Safety Car came out. Ricciardo would pit with no rear wing on his car also damaged in the first corner incident with Alonso's car taking it off. The Safety Car would come out as Raikkonen and Ricciardo pitted with Raikkonen getting a new set of tyres. Lap three and Vettel was leading from Hamilton, Perez, Ocon, Verstappen, Grosjean, Magnussen, Gasly, Ericsson and Sergey in tenth. Lance was in eleventh with replays showing Bottas hitting the rear of what seemed to be Lances Williams damaging his front wing forcing him to pit.

The race would restart on lap six with Vettel keeping his lead over Hamilton, Perez and Ocon. Sergey would pass Ericsson for ninth with Lance still 11th. But Ericsson would get past Sergey no doubt using his Ferrari power. The pair would swap places but Ericsson would again get back in front of Sergey. Lap eight and Verstappen would pass Ocon for fourth as Sergey dropped off the rear of Ericsson. Raikkonen would pit again returning in 16th. Bottas was now 12th running on supersoft tyres while on lap eleven Raikkonen would retire in his pit with too much damage on his car. Verstappen would pass Perez for third using his DRS. At the front Vettel was now leading Hamilton by 3.2 seconds. Bottas would pass Lance for 11th on lap thirteen. He would then quickly get past Sergey taking the tenth place seeing the Williams drivers now 11th and 12th.

Ricciardo was back out on the track but was two laps down as he passed Lance but it was not for position. The top ten cars were all running with gaps between them with 15th laps completed. Bottas would pass both Ericsson and Gasly to be eighth. The Williams drivers continued to run in 11th and 12th as on lap twenty three Hamilton would pit taking on soft tyres. Verstappen was now second but eighteen seconds behind Vettel. Hamilton was now third while Vettel would pit on lap twenty four taking on the soft tyres. Hamilton had passed Verstappen while Hamilton had closed the gap to Vettel. But Vettel would respond to increase the gap to Hamilton. Grosjean would pit on lap twenty five joined by the Williams of Lance. Grosjean would return in 10th ahead of Sergey. Lance would switch to the supersoft tyre now 15th. Sainz has also pitted taking on supersoft tyres. Ocon would pit on lap twenty six joined by Sergey. Ocon was now eighth and on the soft tyre. Sergey was back out in 13th and on the supersoft tyre. Sergey was right behind Vandoorne as Perez pitted taking on the soft tyre now running in fifth. Sergey would pass Vandoorne to now be 12th.

Gasly would pit switching to the soft tyre and now running in 10th with Hartley 11th. Verstappen would pit on lap twenty eight changing to the soft tyre still in third. Ericsson would pit on lap twenty nine changing to the supersoft tyre coming back out in 10th. But he would be passed by Hartley dropping him to 11th. The Williams drivers were now 12th and 14th. At the front after the stops the order was Vettel, Hamilton, Verstappen, Bottas, Perez, Ocon, Grosjean, Magnussen, Gasly and Hartley tenth. Vettel was now lead9ng Hamilton by 5.0 seconds with thirty laps completed. Ericsson would finally get past Hartley to be tenth. Hartley was 11th but had yet to pit as Bottas pitted on lap thirty one changing to the soft tyre and dropping to sixth. Ricciardo would pit to retire still two laps down. Sergey was now right behind Hartley but Hartley would pit on lap thirty four. Sainz was able to get past Sergey using his DRS to now be ahead of both Williams with Sergey and Lance now 12th and 13th.

Lap thirty six and Lance would go a lap down joined shortly after by Sergey. Lap forty and the Williams drivers continued to maintain their positions while at the front Vettel's lead was no w7.6 seconds over Hamilton with Verstappen a distant third. Bottas would finally get past Perez for fourth using his DRS. Perez and Ocon were now fifth and sixth. The final laps would be completed and it would be Vettel who would take victory in the 2018 Belgian GP. Hamilton was second from Verstappen, Bottas, Perez, Ocon, Grosjean, Magnussen, Gasly and Ericsson tenth. The Williams team would see their drivers finish in 12th and 13th in what was a mixed race for the Williams team with the chance of points looking promising early on in the race but again they were let down by the pace of the FW41 even if it did seem to be improved compared to some of their rivals.