Editorial on the Belgian Grand Prix: the boredom finally comes to an end

Max Verstappen has once again dominated the season, with the Dutch driver racking up victories and moving ever closer to a second championship title, albeit at the expense of suspense.

A wave of penalties at Spa added a touch of intrigue to a weekend that otherwise seemed predictable. While Max Verstappen struggled with an unreliable Red Bull at the start of the season, the Dutch driver has now turned the tables and established himself as the undisputed leader since Ferrari's brief resurgence ran out of steam. With an 80-point lead in the standings, Verstappen is racking up wins with as much regularity as a grandmother knits a sweater, and the championship already seems to be in the bag.

However, the Ardennes circuit is notorious for the chaos that reigns in the first corner, and starting at the back of the grid can be a recipe for disaster. Verstappen and his closest rival, Charles Leclerc, both managed to avoid the early-race incidents and move up the field, highlighting their talent in a perilous environment. Beyond the spectacle offered at the start of the race, there were few overtakes. The reigning world champion initially aimed for another victory, then focused on securing a second title. Meanwhile, Mercedes' resurgence heralds a return to the days when one team dominated while the others fought over the crumbs. Fans would like to see the grid become more competitive again, as it was in the 2012 season, when seven different drivers won the first seven races, or at Silverstone, where five different cars fought for the podium. Ultimately, consistency remains the cornerstone of an exciting championship. We have the best drivers in the world (yes, even Latifi), but without the right machines, they are forced to watch the Austrian juggernaut and its brilliant engineers dictate the rules. The new regulations promised a more exciting spectacle, but the sport still has a long way to go before that promise is fulfilled.