Max Verstappen wins F1 Belgian Grand Prix, leading Red Bull to record 13 consecutive wins

Simply put: Max Verstappen keeps on dominating.

The 25-year-old Formula 1 star won the Belgian Grand Prix for his eighth consecutive victory and 10th overall this season. Verstappen held the sixth spot at the pole but still managed to finish 22.3 seconds before teammate Sergio Pérez to give Red Bull Racing a top-2 finish.

Verstappen is now one win away from tying Sebastian Vettel’s F1 record of nine consecutive victories.

Verstappen actually was the fastest driver in Friday's qualifying, but he had to take a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change. During Sunday's race, Verstappen faced some early traffic before he gradually managed to build his lead.

“It was just about surviving turn one. I could see it was all getting really tight,” Verstappen said. “I’ve been in that position before myself so I am just going to stay out of that and it worked out. From there onwards I made the right overtakes.”

The victory moves Verstappen another step closer to more history, as he approaches his record of 15 victories in a season, which he set last year. There are 22 total races scheduled for this season, after a race in Italy in May was called off.

Verstappen, the defending F1 champion, is now 125 points ahead of Pérez in the standings. Going back to the final race of last season, Verstappen's victory in Belgium now extends Red Bull's record to 13 consecutive first-place finishes.

Who won the Belgian Grand Prix? Top 10 results, points

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull): 1:22:30.450; 25 points earned
2. Sergio Pérez (Red Bull): +22.305; 18
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): +32.259; 15
4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): +49.671; 13
5. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin): +56.184; 10
6. George Russell (Mercedes): +63.101; 8
7. Lando Norris (McLaren): +73.719; 6
8. Esteban Ocon (Alpine): +74.719; 4
9. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin): +79.340; 2
10. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri): +80.221; 1

What are the F1 standings after the Belgian Grand Prix?

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull); 314 points
2. Sergio Pérez (Red Bull); 189
3. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin); 149
4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes); 148
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari); 99
6. George Russell (Mercedes); 99
7. Carlos Sainz Jr. (Ferrari); 92
8. Lando Norris (McLaren) 69
9. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin); 47
10. Esteban Ocon (Alpine); 35

What's next on the F1 schedule?

The F1 season will have a short break and will resume with the Dutch Grand Prix Aug. 27 at Zandvoort. Following that will be a Sept. 3 race in Italy at Autodromo Nazionale Monza. Then drivers will head east for the Singapore Grand Prix Sept. 17.