2020 Belgian Grand Prix

The **2020 Belgian Grand Prix** was a Formula 1.5 motor race held on 30 August 2020 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot, Belgium. The race was the seventh round in the 2020 World Championship.

## Background

A minute of silence was held before the race to mark the one year anniversary of Anthoine Hubert's death and Pierre Gasly wore a tribute helmet for Hubert. All drivers and teams put a star sticker on their chassis and helmets in tribute to Hubert.

### **Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic**

The opening rounds of the 2020 championship were heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Several Grands Prix were cancelled or postponed after the planned opening round in Australia was called off two days before the race was due to take place, prompting the FIA to draft a new calendar. However, the Belgian Grand Prix was not impacted by this change and kept its original date.

In April 2020, the Belgian government extended a ban on mass gatherings until 31 August 2020 in a bid to control the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the race later received permission to be held behind closed doors.

### **Entrants**

The drivers and teams were the same as those on the season entry list with no additional stand-in drivers for either the race or practice.

### **Tyres**

Pirelli brought forward the C2, C3 and C4 tyres for the race weekend, the second, third, and fourth hardest tyre compounds available.

## Practice

The first practice session took place without major incident and ended with Sergio Perez fastest for Racing Point ahead of teammate Lance Stroll and Renault driver Esteban Ocon. Haas drivers Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean and Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi were all unable to set a lap due to power unit issues for the Haas cars and unexplained issues for Giovinazzi's Alfa car. In the 2nd practice session, Daniel Ricciardo went fastest, ahead of Sergio Perex and Lando Norris. Daniel Ricciardo suffered a hydraulics issue on the Kemmel straight shortly after setting the second fastest time resulting in a virtual safety car. A short red flag period followed soon due to an advertising billboard coming loose and falling on the track at turn 1. In the third and final practice session, Ocon was fastest ahead of Norris and Ricciardo.

## Race

McLaren’s Carlos Sainz Jr. suffered a power unit issue which also damaged his exhaust, meaning he was unable to start the race. On lap 10, Alfa Romeo's Antonio Giovinazzi lost control of his car coming out of turn 14 and crashed into the wall. One of his wheels detached from the car which subsequently hit the front right suspension of George Russell's Williams forcing both drivers to retire from the race.

This caused significant debris resulting in a safety car. All drivers except Pierre Gasly and Sergio Pérez pitted under safety car conditions. On older tyres and out of position due to not pitting under the safety car, Pérez and Gasly both began to fall down the field.

Sergio Pérez pitted at the end of lap 18 for new hard tyres dropping him to 13th, the last of the runners still on track, before starting to gradually make his way up the field using his newer tyres. On lap 26 Pierre Gasly pitted from 6th position and put on a set of medium tyres that were to see him to the end of the race. He came out in 12th position, behind every driver other than Charles Leclerc who had been forced to make a second pit stop due to a pneumatics issue. Similarly to Pérez before him Gasly used his newer tyres to start to make his way though the field, by lap 36 he was in 6th position behind Pérez in 5th. Gasly passed Pérez on lap 39 before closing the gap to Lance Stroll whom he passed on lap 42 to take 4th position where he finished.

Daniel Ricciardo won the race from Ocon and Norris. Ricciardo completed the fastest lap, a 1:47.483, on the final lap of the race for an extra championship point. The race was also notable for Kimi Räikkönen finishing ahead of both Ferraris, including his former teammate Vettel.

## Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings

 +1
 -1
 +2
 -1

Constructors' Championship standings

 +1
 -1
 +/-

## External links

1. ↑ Includes one point for fastest lap.
2. ↑ Sainz qualified seventh, but his place on the grid was left vacant as he did not start the race.
3. ↑  Racing Point was deducted 15 points after a protest from Renault was upheld regarding the legality of their car.