Hamilton leads start to finish, closes in on F1 career record

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, BELGIUM — Lewis Hamilton led from start to finish at the Belgian Grand Prix to clinch his 89th career win and move two behind Michael Schumacher’s Formula One record on Sunday.

The world champion was untroubled from pole position, beating his Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas by eight seconds and finishing 15 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo was fourth and grabbed an extra point for the fastest lap.

Hamilton’s fifth win from seven races also extended his championship lead over Verstappen to 47 points with Bottas drifting 50 back in third. Hamilton is odds-on to win a seventh title to tie Schumacher’s record. “I am 35 going towards 36 but I feel better than ever,“Hamilton said.

Schumacher won five of those F1 titles consecutively during a glorious era for Ferrari, but the proud Italian team is struggling badly now. Sebastian Vettel finished 13th and Charles Leclerc 14th.

They are not able to get anywhere close to Hamilton in terms of speed, let alone challenge him.

Having secured a record-extending 93rd career pole, which he dedicated to American actor Chadwick Boseman, Hamilton made a clean start and Bottas was unable to exert pressure on the long straight up to Turn 2. “I just couldn’t catch him,” Bottas said. “Lewis was faultless today.”

Verstappen would love a faster car to take the fight to Hamilton, but Red Bull has yet to bridge the gap to Mercedes.

“It was pretty boring to be honest, not much to do,“Verstappen said. “It was not really enjoyable out there.”

Early into the 44-lap race, Williams driver George Russell and Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi crashed heavily but were both unharmed.

McLaren driver Carlos Sainz

Jr. failed to start because of an exhaust failure.

A minute’s silence was held before the race in memory of French driver Anthoine Hubert, who died here last year following a horrific crash during an F2 race.

F1 driver Pierre Gasly, who was close friends with Hubert, and other drivers gathered solemnly around a picture of Hubert on the grid. His racing helmet was placed on a stand.

INDYCAR: Josef Newgarden raced to his second IndyCar victory of the season, holding off rookie Pato O’Ward before a late caution ended the race at World Wide Technology Raceway under the yellow flag in Madison, Ill.

It’s the second IndyCar race to finish under caution in one week. Takuma Sato won the Indianapolis 500 under yellow last Sunday.

In the second of two weekend races at the short oval outside of St. Louis, it was Sato who brought out the caution with four laps remaining when he hit the wall. The pace car picked up the field with three laps remaining and IndyCar did not have enough time to restart the race. Newgarden, in a Chevrolet for Team Penske, won for the 16th time in his career.

LARS BARON / ASSOCIATED PRESS Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain hoists another trophy at the Belgian Grand Prix as he picks up his 89th career victory — only two behind career leader Michael Schumacher — and extends his season lead in the Formula One standings to 47 points.