Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes hoping that rule change can kickstart season at Belgian GP

After the rain-lashed disaster that was last year’s Belgian Grand Prix, Formula One’s return to the Ardennes signals the start of a frantic second half of the season with the drama already well under way.

And given Max Verstappen’s gargantuan 80-point lead, Ferrari need a drastic and sustained turnaround if they are to have any chance of becoming champions in 2022.

To put that advantage into perspective, Charles Leclerc could win the remaining nine races and still not become champion if the Dutchman is second each time.

Incredibly, there is not much between the rivals in terms of talent or machinery except that Ferrari have shown a disastrous propensity to throw away winning potential.

Six times they have done so while Verstappen, in contrast, has been almost robotic in his reliability.

Leclerc’s own mistakes in Imola and France cost him dearly, but usually it has been the team’s strategy and reliability at fault.

Under pressure, it seems, they crack and that’s not the modus operandi to take into a rescue mission over one of the most intense periods in the sport’s history: nine races in 12 weeks start with what are effectively two home races for Verstappen at Spa and Zandvoort.

Although there is an established hierarchy, with Red Bull and Ferrari chased by Mercedes, there is cause to believe Sunday’s race could see a total re-set.

The leading duo’s advantage was supposedly down to a questionable interpretation of the aero rules for the underside of the cars associated with the infamous bouncing.

It’s one of those cases where the design is not exactly illegal but, their rivals claim, definitely not within the spirit of the regulations.

Having been spotted by the FIA, the loophole has been closed for Spa onwards and it’ll