F1 News: How The Belgian GP Changed The Championship - Charles Leclerc Makes Big Jump In Drivers' Standings

An update on the drivers' and constructors' standings.

The Belgian Grand Prix has come to a close and marks the halfway point in the 2023 season as we head into the summer break. 

Max Verstappen drove to take the victory from sixth position and also won the Sprint Race on Saturday, further extending his lead in the championship. Sergio Perez crossed the line in second position during the Grand Prix to bring in the ideal finish for the Red Bull team. 

Here is how the Belgian Grand Prix changed the drivers' and constructors' standings. 

Drivers' Championship

It is becoming increasingly unlikely that another driver will be able to stop Verstappen from taking his third championship title this year, however, the dramatic race at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit has made some interesting changes in the standings below the Dutch driver. 

The fight for third-place continues between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton with there now only being one point separating the two champions. Despite a second-place finish during the Belgian Grand Prix, Sergio Perez was forced to retire during the Sprint Race, so there are now 35 points between second and third place in the championship. 

The biggest change in the drivers' standings comes from Charles Leclerc who has moved from seventh position to fifth. He is now tied with George Russell who has moved down to sixth place with 99 points each. Carlos Sainz has also moved down from sixth to seventh and is just seven points behind with 92 points. 

1. Max Verstappen - 314 points (+33)
2. Sergio Perez - 184 points (+13)
3. Fernando Alonso - 149 points (+10)
4. Lewis Hamilton - 148 points (+15)
5. Charles Leclerc - 99 points (+19)
6. George Russell - 99 points (+9)
7. Carlos Sainz - 92 points (+5)
8. Lando Norris - 69 points (+9)
9. Lance Stroll - 47 points (+2)
10. Esteban Ocon - 35 points (+4)
11. Oscar Piastri - 34 points (+7)
12. Pierre Gasly - 22 points (+6)
13. Alex Albon - 11 points
14. Nico Hulkenberg - 9 points
15. Valtteri Bottas - 5 points
16. Zhou Guanyu - 4 points
17. Yuki Tsunoda - 3 points (+1)
18. Kevin Magnussen - 2 points
19. Logan Sargeant - 0 points
20. Nyck de Vries - 0 points
21. Daniel Ricciardo - 0 points

Constructors' Championship

The Belgian Grand Prix didn't change anything in the constructors' standings in terms of positions. However, Ferrari has significantly closed the gap between them in fourth to Aston Martin in third. The gap has gone from 17 points to just 5.

Despite picking up an extra point from Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri are still trailing behind in tenth position with a six point gap to Alfa Romeo.

1. Red Bull - 503 points (+51)
2. Mercedes - 247 points (+24)
3. Aston Martin - 196 points (+12)
4. Ferrari - 191 points (+24)
5. McLaren - 103 points (+16)
6. Alpine - 57 points (+10)
7. Williams - 11 points
8. Haas - 11 points
9. Alfa Romeo - 9 points
10. AlphaTauri - 3 points (+1)