The 12 Best Moments From The Manic Belgian Grand Prix

Familiar faces finished on the podium at Spa-Francorchamps, but the famous track hosted a truly thrilling, chaotic and dramatic Belgian GP packed full of exciting and ridiculous moments
The 12 Best Moments From The Manic Belgian Grand Prix

1. Penalties galore

The 12 Best Moments From The Manic Belgian Grand Prix

Before the race even started, there were some hilariously heavy grid penalties for engine changes. Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso both picked up 60-place grid drops for the Belgian GP. Fortunately, they started 21st and 22nd, and not from the exit of Pouhon…

There was chaos at the start. Max Verstappen was slow away but tried to pass Kimi Raikkonen up the inside.

The Iceman ended up finding himself sandwiched between the Red Bull and his Ferrari team-mate. The inevitable contact bumped Raikkonen into Sebastian Vettel, who went for a spin. All three lost ground with damage but continued.

3. Close one!

The 12 Best Moments From The Manic Belgian Grand Prix
The 12 Best Moments From The Manic Belgian Grand Prix

With half a front wing, Verstappen couldn’t quite take the usual line through Eau Rouge and Raidillon… he came very close to hitting the wall!

The mayhem continued later in the first lap when Jenson Button was hit by Pascal Wehrlein, taking both drivers out of the race.

Just one lap later Carlos Sainz Jr. found himself spinning around at Les Combes after his tyre let go on the Kemmel Straight at 200mph. The damage caused him to retire.

6. Kimi’s on fire

The 12 Best Moments From The Manic Belgian Grand Prix

There was a scary moment during Raikkonen’s early pitstop when the floor of his car caught fire. What was his reaction? Probably “bwoah”.

7. Hard hit

The 12 Best Moments From The Manic Belgian Grand Prix

The race was red flagged after a massive crash for Kevin Magnussen at the top of Eau Rouge/Raidillon. He lost the rear, tried to correct it and smashed into the wall. Magnussen quickly clambered out of his car but was limping slightly.

He has apparently got a cut to his left ankle but is otherwise OK. You can see footage of the shunt right here.

8. Angry Kimi

The 12 Best Moments From The Manic Belgian Grand Prix
The 12 Best Moments From The Manic Belgian Grand Prix

Once the race resumed again, we saw some great, close racing. One driver pushing the limit a bit too much was Verstappen. Well, Raikkonen thought so anyway after a few more close encounters. He said over team radio:

“Do I have to let the Red Bull past? He’s only interested in pushing me completely off the track.”
“Hey come on, this is **ing ridiculous now, he’s moving when I’m at full speed on the right.”

We don’t often see drivers running side-by-side through the pitlane and that’s made even more tricky at Spa by the track’s tight hairpin at the exit.

But that didn’t stop Nico Hulkenberg and Fernando Alonso from trying. There was even slight contact but Hulkenberg muscled ahead.

10. Strategy, strategy, everywhere

The 12 Best Moments From The Manic Belgian Grand Prix

One of the reasons why the racing was so frenetic was because drivers were all using different tyre compounds and strategies. It all helped mix up the order brilliantly.

11. Rosberg wins

The 12 Best Moments From The Manic Belgian Grand Prix

Remember Nico Rosberg? Well, we barely saw him on the TV coverage. He took a controlled victory at Spa. Daniel Ricciardo was second after a great, trouble-free drive, with Hamilton recovering to a strong third place.

Remote video URL

Ricciardo brought the “shoey” – the Aussie trend of people drinking alcohol out of their shoe in celebration of something – to the F1 podium in Germany.

It appeared again at Spa, but this time it was podium interviewer and former number two F1 driver Mark Webber drinking the bubbly out of the Red Bull driver’s sweaty race boot. Lovely!

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Comments

FLixy Madfox

Kimi on fire? Thats kinda ironic for F1’s own iceman

08/28/2016 - 16:14 |
79 | 1

. The iceman lost his cool when he’s on fire.

08/28/2016 - 17:12 |
10 | 0
Nissan 420sx
08/28/2016 - 16:16 |
56 | 1
Anonymous

Lewis from last to third, Real champion doing his thing.

08/28/2016 - 17:02 |
11 | 6
dAAAMN313

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Nothing special to be honest.He started on mediums and got lucky with the safety car and red flag and he had the best car so yeah..
Just look at Alonso,he did the same with a slower car.

08/28/2016 - 19:35 |
20 | 0
Ali Mahfooz

I loved how the commentators made jokes on Kimi after his marriage. 😂

Kimi being interviewed after his marriage
“Interviewer: Kimi, have you done anything interesting this week?”
“Kimi: No”

l nearly fell off the couch laughing. 😂😂

08/28/2016 - 17:14 |
41 | 1

video?

08/29/2016 - 12:00 |
0 | 0

I wouldn’t be surprised to hear something like this:

  • Kimi, how was your wedding?
  • Bwoah… I married a woman.
08/29/2016 - 14:07 |
3 | 0
Barnabro

You ever drunk Bailey’s from a shoe?

08/28/2016 - 18:11 |
2 | 0

Easy there fuzzy little man peach

08/29/2016 - 00:52 |
1 | 1
Anonymous

Probably Rosberg was singing this during the whole race:

Lonely I’m so lonely
I have nobody
To call my own
I’m so lonely, I’m Mr. Lonely
I have nobody
To call my own
I’m so lonely

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EEW-9NDM5k

08/28/2016 - 18:33 |
4 | 0
Anonymous

I feel like Verstappen could get away with anything.

08/28/2016 - 18:43 |
13 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Vettel cut the first corner way too much, that’s why Kimi touched Max and that’s how he lost his wing. It’s completely logical that he was angry at both ferrari’s.

08/28/2016 - 20:28 |
3 | 8
icebreakertech

Amazing race, shame for verstappen. Not his fault but he could have backed out in the first corner. Australians stole the show :)

08/28/2016 - 18:50 |
3 | 2
Anonymous

Vettel actually bumped into Räikkönen first, which forced the Iceman into Verstappen.

Everyone was squeezing everyone there. That accident was bound to happen.

08/28/2016 - 19:17 |
1 | 1
Anonymous

Is drinking champagne from a shoe some sort of Australian thing or what

08/29/2016 - 02:30 |
1 | 0