The 2017 Belgian Grand Prix (formally known as the 2017 Formula 1 Pirelli Belgian Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race that was held on 27 August 2017 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot, Belgium. The race, contested over forty-four laps, was the twelfth round of the 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship, and marked the seventy-third running of the Belgian Grand Prix and the sixtieth time the race was held at Spa-Francorchamps.
Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel entered the round with a fourteen-point lead over Lewis Hamilton in the World Drivers' Championship with Valtteri Bottas a further nineteen points behind in third. In the World Constructors' Championship, Mercedes led Ferrari by thirty-nine points before the race.
In his 200th Grand Prix, Hamilton started the race from pole position for the 68th time in his career, equaling the record of Michael Schumacher for most poles, and went on to win the race. In doing so, he closed to within seven points of Vettel's championship lead.
Television and motorsport personality Guy Martin was present as part of the Williams pit team as part of filming for an episode of his 'Speed' series.
Qualifying DriverConstructorQ1Q2Q3144 Lewis HamiltonMercedes1:44.1841:42.9271:42.553125 Sebastian VettelFerrari1:44.2751:43.9871:42.7952377 Valtteri BottasMercedes1:44.7731:43.2491:43.094347 Kimi RäikkönenFerrari1:44.7291:43.7001:43.2704533 Max Verstappen1:44.5351:43.9401:43.380563 Daniel Ricciardo1:45.1141:44.2241:43.8636727 Nico HülkenbergRenault1:45.2801:44.9881:44.9827811 Sergio PérezForce India-Mercedes1:45.5911:44.8941:45.2448931 Esteban OconForce India-Mercedes1:45.2771:45.0061:45.36991030 Jolyon PalmerRenault1:45.4471:44.685No time141114 Fernando AlonsoMcLaren-Honda1:45.6681:45.09010128 Romain GrosjeanHaas-Ferrari1:45.7281:45.133111320 Kevin MagnussenHaas-Ferrari1:45.5351:45.400121455 Carlos Sainz Jr.Toro Rosso1:45.3741:45.43913152McLaren-Honda1:45.441No time201619 Felipe MassaWilliams-Mercedes1:45.823161726 Daniil KvyatToro Rosso1:46.028191818 Lance StrollWilliams-Mercedes 1:46.91515199 Marcus EricssonSauber-Ferrari1:47.214172094 Pascal WehrleinSauber-Ferrari1:47.67918 107% time: 1:51.476 Source:
Notes – Jolyon Palmer, Marcus Ericsson and Pascal Wehrlein each received a five-place grid penalty for unscheduled gearbox changes. – Stoffel Vandoorne received a series of grid penalties totalling sixty-five places for exceeding his quota of power unit elements and an unscheduled gearbox change. – Felipe Massa received a five-place grid penalty for ignoring yellow flags in Free Practice 3. – Daniil Kvyat received a twenty-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota of power unit elements.
Race At the start Lewis Hamilton held off Sebastian Vettel to lead although Vettel would continue to pressure him for most of the race. In the second half of the race, the safety car came out after the two Force India cars of Esteban Ocon and Sergio Pérez collided leaving debris on the track, earlier in the race both Pérez and Ocon had also touched wheels. Hamilton was not happy with the deployment of the safety car labelling it "BS", on the restart he came under attack again from Vettel but was able to fend him off up until the finish. Daniel Ricciardo came home in 3rd place, Valtteri Bottas' chances of the title were fading after only managing 5th.
Race classification DriverConstructorLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints144 Lewis HamiltonMercedes44 1:24:42.82012525 Sebastian VettelFerrari44 +2.3582 1833 Daniel Ricciardo 44 +10.7916 1547 Kimi RäikkönenFerrari44 +14.471412577 Valtteri BottasMercedes44 +16.456310627 Nico HülkenbergRenault44 +28.0877 878 Romain GrosjeanHaas-Ferrari44 +31.55311 6819 Felipe MassaWilliams-Mercedes44 +36.64916 4931 Esteban Ocon44 +38.1549 21055 Carlos Sainz Jr.Toro Rosso44 +39.4471311118 Lance StrollWilliams-Mercedes 44 +48.999151226 Daniil KvyatToro Rosso44 +49.940191330 Jolyon PalmerRenault44 +53.23914142McLaren-Honda44 +57.078201520 Kevin MagnussenHaas-Ferrari44 +1:07.26212169 Marcus EricssonSauber-Ferrari44 +1:09.711171711 Sergio PérezForce India-Mercedes42 Collision damage8 14 Fernando AlonsoMcLaren-Honda25 Power unit10 33 Max Verstappen7 Power unit5 94 Pascal WehrleinSauber-Ferrari2 Suspension18Source:
Notes – Sergio Pérez retired from the race, but was classified as he had completed 90% of the race distance.
Championship standings after the race
Drivers' Championship standings DriverPoints1 Sebastian Vettel2202 Lewis Hamilton2133 Valtteri Bottas1794 Daniel Ricciardo1325 Kimi Räikkönen128Source:
Constructors' Championship standings ConstructorPoints1 Mercedes3922 Ferrari34831994 Force India-Mercedes1035 Williams-Mercedes45Source:
Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
See also 2017 Spa-Francorchamps Formula 2 round 2017 Spa-Francorchamps GP3 Series round
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