Belgian Grand Prix 2018 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Sebastian Vettel won a thrilling Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps after a dramatic first-lap incident eliminated multiple cars and gifted Ferrari the victory. The German driver inherited the lead when Lewis Hamilton was forced to pit for a new front wing after contact with teammate Valtteri Bottas, allowing Vettel to control the race and reduce Hamilton's championship lead to 17 points.

The race exploded into chaos at the first corner when Nico Hulkenberg's Renault was launched into a spectacular airborne crash after being squeezed by Fernando Alonso and touching Charles Leclerc's Sauber. The Halo device undoubtedly saved Hulkenberg's life as his car flew over Alonso's McLaren before landing heavily. Meanwhile, Hamilton and Bottas made contact while battling with Vettel, damaging Hamilton's front wing and forcing an early pit stop that dropped him to the back of the field. Vettel seized the opportunity to take the lead and never looked back.

Hamilton recovered brilliantly to finish second after his first-lap setback, limiting the championship damage with another impressive comeback drive. Max Verstappen completed the podium for Red Bull in third place, while Valtteri Bottas set the fastest lap for Mercedes. The result cut Hamilton's championship lead but couldn't disguise Ferrari's growing concerns about reliability and consistency. Vettel's victory was his fifth of the season and kept his title hopes alive heading to Monza.