Roger Diez: Sonoma sees fast cars on a slow weekend

With NASCAR and the NTT IndyCar series both dark last week due to Olympic coverage, only Formula 1 and the NHRA were in action. The Belgian Grand Prix at the famed Spa Francorchamps circuit had a surprise finish and an even more shocking post-race development, while a former NASCAR champion made it to the last round in Top Fuel at the Sonoma Denso Nationals.

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At Spa Francorchamps, hoping to end a three-race losing streak, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen qualified fastest in wet conditions on Saturday. But when the cars lined up for a dry race on Sunday, he was 11th on the grid due to a 10-place penalty for a power unit change.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc started from pole with Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez alongside and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and McLaren pilot Lando Norris in row two. There was close racing throughout the field with pit strategies scrambling the order several times. Most were on a two-stop strategy, but George Russell elected to run a set of hard tires on his Mercedes, making only one stop. As the final laps wound down, Hamilton reeled Russell in while Oscar Piastri’s McLaren stalked both of the leaders.

Russell managed to hold off his teammate for a Mercedes 1-2, only to have his elation turned to despair when a post-race inspection found his car to be underweight. Russell was disqualified, making Hamilton the winner with Piastri taking second-place points and Leclerc advancing to third. Verstappen ended up fourth. Mercedes principal Toto Wolff apologized to Russell, taking blame for the error that led to the disqualification.

Formula 1 is now in their summer break, returning to competition at the end of August with the Heineken Dutch Grand Prix. It is Verstappen’s home race, so he will be particularly motivated to break his four-race losing streak, the longest drought for him in three seasons.

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Also last weekend, the NHRA visited Sonoma Raceway over the hill in California for the Sonoma Denso Nationals. Top Fuel honors went to Antron Brown with a 3.746 second ET at 329.65 mph. He beat fellow finalist Tony Stewart, who is sitting in this year in the top fuel car normally run by wife Leah Pruett. Pruett is expecting the couple’s first child in November. Stewart is currently ninth in points, only two behind Billy Torrence. Tony has already won the Indy Racing League championship in 1997, and the NASCAR Cup crown in 2002, 2005, and 2011. He also won the “triple crown” of Midget, Sprint Car, and Silver Crown championships in 1995. And in 2006 he won the International Race of Champions (IROC) title. Last weekend’s second place at Sonoma was his best finish so far in his Top Fuel career, but can a win be far away for the man called “Smoke”?

In the other top divisions, Bob Tasca beat Ron Capps for the Funny Car win with a 4.088 second ET at 277.15 mph, Cory Reed took the Pro Stock win over Aaron Stanfield at 209.65 mph with a 6.557 ET, and the Pro Stock Motorcycle victory went to Matt Smith, besting John Hall with a 6.700 ET and 203.77 mph.

The Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd, Minnesota, are next up two weeks from now.

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In other racing news, departing Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz announced Monday that he will be joining the Williams team in 2025 on a multi-year contract, with the aim of returning the team to its former glory days of the 1980s and 1990s when they won nine constructors’ championships. Sainz will replace American driver Logan Sergeant.