Leclerc restarts Max chase as F1 returns... with Hamilton on the rise

The Formula 1 season restarts at one of its most iconic circuits this week, with the Belgian Grand Prix the first of nine races that will determine the outcome of 2022's world championship battles.

After two victories heading into the summer break and two woeful rounds for his closest rival, Max Verstappen heads into the Spa-Francorchamps resumption with a mighty 80-point lead as he looks to retain his title.

But can Charles Leclerc hit back? Are Mercedes, and Lewis Hamilton, back in contention? And what on earth is going on in the driver market?

Ahead of the Belgian GP, with every session live on Sky Sports F1, we've rounded up the essential talking points which could shape the weekend, and indeed the rest of the season as we get ready for nine races in 15 weeks.

The runaway leader at the start of the season and the driver with far more pole positions than anyone else, Leclerc has been rapid in 2022 - but his title challenge is in danger of falling apart. If it hasn't already.

Leclerc has had a woeful run ever since his engine went bang at May's Spanish GP - as the table below demonstrates - and Verstappen has been there to profit, stretching his lead to 80 points heading into August.

That advantage, the largest a driver as enjoyed at the summer break in over a decade, means Verstappen can actually afford to finish second behind Leclerc in all of the remaining nine rounds and still defend his crown.

Why, then, is there still hope, even confidence, in the Ferrari camp?

Because they have had a faster package than Red Bull over the summer.

Indeed, the difference between Verstappen and Red Bull, and Leclerc and Ferrari has been mistakes, not outright pace. Verstappen and Red Bull have been near-faultless when it comes to