--- title: "Verstappen Wins 8 in a Row, Perez Delivers Red Bull 1-2 in Belgian F1 GP" description: "Max Verstappen took home his eighth straight win in Belgium, so he only needs two more to break Vettel's record." date: "2023-07-30" modified: "2023-07-30" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/verstappen-wins-8-in-a-row-perez-delivers-red-bull-1-2-in-belgian-f1-gp" categories: - "F1" - "News" - "Racing" --- # Verstappen Wins 8 in a Row, Perez Delivers Red Bull 1-2 in Belgian F1 GP ![]() *Getty Images* It might be tough to tune into [Formula 1]() every Sunday knowing that[ Max Verstappen]() and Red Bull are going to dominate, as if every other team is running Formula 3 cars. However, we are watching a historic performance by the Red Bull team, especially Verstappen. The Dutchman just won his eighth straight grand prix, looking to break the consecutive win record, as Red Bull took home a one-two podium finish in Belgium. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc actually started from pole position at Spa but only because Verstappen suffered a five-place penalty during qualifying. And while Leclerc had a perfect start, with excellent reaction time and great defensive driving, there was no denying the speed and performance of the two Red Bulls. Verstappen's teammate, Sergio Perez, started P2 on the grid and, despite Leclerc's best efforts, overtook the Ferrari for first place in the first lap. Verstappen was up into fourth before the start of the second lap. They simply sliced through the grid like every other driver was standing still. Eventually, Verstappen made his way into P2, behind his teammate, and there was no stopping him. I'm not sure whether the team told Perez to make way for Verstappen, or the Dutchman was just that much quicker, but the[ Red Bull ]()drivers' positions were reversed early on and there was nothing anyone could do to change that. The two Red Bulls cruised to an easy one-two finish, with Leclerc finishing a distant third. ![]() **Photo | Getty Images** Mercedes's Lewis Hamilton had himself a good day, finishing fourth, and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso finished fifth, keeping him in third place in the driver's standings with 149 points. Which means Alonso is only 40 points behind the second place Perez, which is a gap that can be closed in just a couple of races. However, Verstappen leads the entire pack with a whopping 314 points. Verstappen can take a few races off and still easily win the driver's championship. However, he can't take a few weeks off because he's chasing a record. The Formula 1 record for consecutive wins is currently held by the now-retired Sebastian Vettel, with nine straight first-place finishes. Today's Belgian GP win gives Verstappen eight. So he just needs one more to tie Vettel and two more to break the record. At this point, unless something catastrophic happens to his cars in either of those two races, it's hard to imaging him *not* breaking the record at this point. The only driver that seems capable of challenging Verstappen is his own teammate, as Perez is the only other driver to win a GP this year, but I can't imagine the Red Bull team letting Perez snap Verstappen's potentially record-breaking streak. F1 takes a little break in August, so we won't see another race until the Dutch grand prix—Verstappen's home town race—on August 27. So you Verstappen fans will have to wait a few weeks to see if he can tie the record. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()