Belgian GP: Single point for Williams Racing

With qualifying and the subsequent penalties for various drivers based on Power Unit breaches the Williams Racing Team would see Alex Albon and Nicholas Latifi start the forty four lap 2022 Belgian Grand Prix from sixth and 11th respectively. On pole would be Sainz from Perez, Alonso, Hamilton, Russell, Alex, Ricciardo, Gasly, Stroll and Vettel tenth. Despite setting the fastest time in qualifying Verstappen would have to start from 14th. Other drivers to start from further down the grid than normal was Bottas 13th, Leclerc in 15th, Norris 17th and starting from the pits Tsunoda.

As for tyres the Williams pair would be using the medium tyres. Outside them the tyre break down would see Sainz on the soft and of the rest of the grid only Bottas, Verstappen and Leclerc were on the same soft tyre. The rest were on the medium and Tsunoda on the hard tyre. But Gasly would also at the last moment be seen starting from the pit lane joining his team-mate.

With the competition of the parade lap the grid would form and with the start it would be Sainz leading from Alonso, Hamilton and Russell. Alex was ninth but we would see Alonso and Hamilton make contact seeing Perez now second. Russell was third from Alonso, Vettel, Ricciardo, Alex, and Stroll eighth. Hamilton would be told to stop to retire. The second Williams of Nicholas was down in 12th. Nicholas would spin making contact with Bottas. Nicholas had run wide dropping his car into the gravel and on his return he would see the Alfa Romeo run wide trying to avoid contact with the Williams.

So with Nicholas now 18th after a pit stop to change his front wing and Alex 7th the order was now Sainz, Perez, Russell, Alonso, Vettel, Ricciardo, Alex, Verstappen, Stroll, and Magnussen tenth. The Safety Car would be deployed as we had to recover the stopped Mercedes and the Alfa Romeo. Leclerc had pitted with an issue which turned out to be a visor tear-off in his brake duct dropping down the order. With the restart Sainz would keep his lead as Alonso tried to get past Russell. Alex had been passed by Verstappen and was now eighth. Alex was able to move up to 7th having passed Ricciardo using his straight line speed. Verstappen was now up to fourth and the Williams pair were now seventh and 17th. Verstappen was now in third having passed Russell.

Alex would pit on lap eleven switching to the hard tyre dropping to 17th while Nicholas was now 15th. Sainz would pit on lap twelve taking the medium tyre returning in sixth as Alonso also pitted changing to the medium. The order was now Verstappen, Perez, Russell, Vettel, Sainz, Ricciardo, Stroll, Ocon, Leclerc, and Norris tenth. Nicholas was now 13th and Alex 16th. With other pit stops Alex would move up to be 14th and Nicholas now 12th. Lap fourteen and Russell would pit joined by Norris with the pair returning in seventh and 17th. The Williams pair were now 11th and 12th. Perez would pit from second returning in third. Sainz was now second followed by Perez, Leclerc, Russell, Stroll, Tsunoda, Alonso, Alex and Vettel tenth. Verstappen would pit changing to the medium returning in second ahead of Perez.

Alex had moved into eighth while Nicholas who had pitted changing to the hard tyre was down in 18th. But Alex would be passed by Vettel dropping to ninth. With twenty laps completed Verstappen had been able to regain the lead with Sainz second followed by Perez, Russell, Leclerc, Alonso, Vettel, Ocon, Alex, and Ricciardo tenth. Alex had been passed by Ocon after locking up at Le Source after an intense fight. Verstappen was now leading by 8s over Perez, who had passed Sainz, Sainz in third followed by Russell, Leclerc, Alonso, Vettel, Ocon, Alex and Ricciardo tenth with twenty five laps completed.

Sainz would pit on lap twenty six joined by Leclerc. Alonso had also come in with Sainz now on the hard, Leclerc the medium and Alonso the hard. This would see Alex now eighth now behind Leclerc. Alex would pit on lap twenty seven with Alex returning in 16th right in front of Nicholas, with Alex on the medium tyre. Perez would also pit changing to the hard returning in third. Twenty nine laps completed and the order was now Verstappen, Russell, Perez, Sainz, Vettel, Ocon, Leclerc, Ricciardo, Alonso and Norris now tenth. Alex was now up to 13th and Nicholas 16th as we had Zhou pit. Russell would pit on lap thirty changing to the hard tyre. He would return in fourth ahead of Vettel. Verstappen would pit changing to the medium tyre while Norris had also pitted.

Alex was now 12th but this would become 11th as Tsunoda pitted. This would see all the drivers complete their require tyre usage. But we would have both Ocon and Ricciardo pit with Ocon now 9th and Ricciardo 15th. This would put Alex in 10th but was under attack from Stroll. Alex would be able to make use of his medium tyres to keep the hard shod Stroll behind him with forty laps completed. Verstappen was now leading Perez by 16s with Sainz third, Russell was now fourth from Leclerc, Alonso, Ocon, Vettel, Gasly, and Alex tenth. The second Williams of Nicholas was down in 18th. Nicholas would pit again changing to the soft tyre with forty two laps completed. Leclerc would it switching to the soft tyre looking to set the fastest lap but he would be passed by Alonso seeing the Alpine now fifth.

With the final lap completed Verstappen would take a dominate victory with Perez second. Third was Sainz followed by Russell, Leclerc, Alonso, Ocon, Vettel, Gasly, and Alex in the Williams of Alex tenth. But the order would change as Leclerc would be given a five second penalty for speeding in the pit lane dropping him to sixth and seeing Alonso fifth. The second Williams of Nicholas was well down in 18th never recovering from his spin. The tenth placed may only seem like a minor thing but for Alex to secure this result and the single point is a victory as it was done on pure pace.