Hamilton given chance for first win of 2022 as rivals dealt grid penalties

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS: Lewis Hamilton finished sixth in second practice on Friday. Pic: Olivier Matthys/AP

Lewis Hamilton has been handed the best chance of winning his first race of the season after Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc were dealt grid penalties for Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix.

Verstappen, who has been an unstoppable force this year, and Leclerc – the Ferrari driver whose title challenge has faltered through faults by man and machine – are among six drivers to be punished for exceeding their number of allocated engine parts as Formula One returns to action following its summer shutdown.