#1138 2025 Belgian Grand Prix

On Tuesday, July 8, 2025, marks Christian Horner's final day as Team Principal of Red Bull Racing. The staff at the Milton Keynes team was informed of the English manager's departure at 11:00 a.m. The decision was made following an emergency meeting held after the British Grand Prix between co-owners Chalerm Yoovidhya and Mark Mateschitz, and Red Bull’s Head of Sports, Oliver Mintzlaff. Despite a contract set to expire at the end of 2030, Red Bull decided to dismiss Christian Horner. The decision, pushed by Oliver Mintzlaff, was based on three key factors: first, to contain Max Verstappen’s growing frustration, second, due to Horner’s excessive centralization of power-something frowned upon by top management, and third, because of the scandal involving Horner in early 2024, which may resurface in 2026 when the trial for inappropriate conduct toward an employee is scheduled to begin. Oliver Mintzlaff, a 49-year-old German manager who has led Red Bull’s sporting operations since November 2022, is considered the mastermind behind this major shake-up.

"Red Bull Racing has relieved Christian Horner of his operational duties as of today, Wednesday, July 9, 2025, and has appointed Laurent Mekies as CEO of Red Bull Racing".

Oliver Mintzlaff stated:

"We would like to thank Christian Horner for his outstanding work over the past 20 years. With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise, and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in making Red Bull Racing one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1. Thank you for everything, Christian - you will always remain a significant part of our team’s history".

Horner began his journey with Red Bull Racing in January 2005, at the very start of the team’s adventure in Formula 1. It has been a highly successful ride for Horner, leading to 8 Drivers’ World Championships (4 with Sebastian Vettel and 4 with Max Verstappen) and 6 Constructors’ Championships. Max Verstappen also expressed his gratitude via a message posted on X:

"From my first race win, to four world championships, we have shared incredible successes. Winning memorable races and breaking countless records. Thank you for everything, Christian".

Later in the evening, an official statement on the Red Bull Racing website confirmed that Laurent Mekies will serve both as the new Team Principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing. The French manager will take on his duties immediately and will lead the team starting from the upcoming Belgian Grand Prix.

"Over the past year and a half, it has been a privilege to lead Racing Bulls, and I want to thank our talented teams in Faenza and Milton Keynes. Looking ahead, I’m thrilled to take on the role of CEO and Team Principal at Red Bull, one of the most dynamic and successful teams in the sport. Being part of this brilliant group that embodies the Red Bull spirit is an honor. Together, we can achieve great things, building on the incredible legacy left by Christian Horner over the past two decades".

In an emotional farewell speech, with teary eyes and a shaky voice, Christian Horner said goodbye to his team at the Milton Keynes factory, which he left mid-morning, just before the shocking news went public.

"Yesterday, I was informed by Red Bull that, from an operational standpoint, I would no longer be involved in the team or its activities. I will remain employed by the company (on gardening leave until the end of the year), but operationally, the baton has been passed on - this was a shock to me. I’ve had time to reflect over the past 12 hours and wanted to be here in front of all of you to share the news and express my gratitude to every single member of the team who has given so much over the past 20 and a half years. When I arrived 20 years ago, there were fewer gray hairs. I joined a team not knowing what to expect, but I was welcomed right away, and we began building what became an F1 powerhouse. Watching and being part of this team has been the greatest privilege of my life. I fought hard, gave it everything, and now it ends. What lies ahead with the new engine project is incredibly exciting, and I’ll deeply regret not being here to see how it performs".

Wednesday, July 9, 2025, marks the first day of a new era at Milton Keynes. Red Bull Racing is truly starting from scratch - this is the first time since its founding in 2005 that the team will be led by someone other than Christian Horner. The immense responsibility of succeeding one of the most successful team principals in F1 history now falls on Laurent Mekies, who officially assumed his role that morning, meeting all staff at the British factory for his first plenary meeting. Mekies is no stranger to the Red Bull family: besides serving as Team Principal of Racing Bulls since early 2024, he previously worked as Chief Engineer at Toro Rosso (now Racing Bulls) between 2006 and 2014. However, his new headquarters will no longer be Faenza, but Milton Keynes. His first impression of the new environment is understandably emotional. The atmosphere at the team’s HQ remains surreal - a sense of disbelief lingers. Horner was deeply appreciated at the factory, and his abrupt departure is still being digested - especially since he had been the main advocate of the Red Bull Powertrains project, set to debut in 2026 with Red Bull-branded engines developed at the UK campus. The critical nature of this day in Red Bull Racing’s future is further underscored by another telling detail: Max Verstappen’s private jet landed in the morning at Cranfield Airport, just 20 minutes from the team’s HQ. The Dutch driver will most likely visit the factory to meet Mekies before returning home to Monte Carlo in the evening, resuming his short vacation in Sardinia - where Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff is also currently vacationing. It remains to be seen whether this meeting with Mekies will influence Verstappen’s decision about his future - whether he stays with Red Bull at least through 2026, or considers leaving the team he’s called home for a decade. Mekies and Verstappen aren’t the only ones present at the factory. Oliver Mintzlaff also addressed employees, giving a 30-minute speech in which he said:

"We must change course, look ahead, and stay united. As a team, we’ve achieved great things - and we will continue to do so. The World Championship is not lost yet".

This statement sharply contrasts with the tone of both Verstappen and Helmut Marko following the team's recent poor results. Meanwhile, Oliver Mintzlaff is reportedly negotiating Horner’s contract termination, which was valid through 2030 and worth over €10 million per season. Mintzlaff may also enforce a prolonged gardening leave period for Horner, especially given that the former team boss was actively involved in 2026 plans right up until his last day.

At the same time, Toto Wolff knew that his chances of convincing the Dutch driver to accept the offer to race with Mercedes depended on the competitiveness of both the Brackley team and Red Bull Racing. Staying true to what he’s been saying lately, Max Verstappen intends to wait until the summer break to evaluate Red Bull Racing's progress - something he clearly sees as crucial before making a decision about 2026, even though winning the world championship currently seems almost impossible. Verstappen is waiting, also because the dismissal of Christian Horner can be seen as an attempt by Red Bull to hold on to their star driver, considering the frictions Horner had with Verstappen's entourage. However, Wolff can't wait forever, and he’s putting pressure on Verstappen:

"The decision regarding the 2026 driver lineup concerns not only the team but also the drivers themselves, who need clarity on their situations. We've always tried to follow this rule, and we’ll do the same this time. That means that by Spa, we’ll know which team we want to compete with in 2026. When we’ll announce it is still uncertain. Discussions have been ongoing in recent weeks, and everyone is updated. In any case, the direction we’re taking is to continue working with George and Kimi. That’s our top priority. Of course, we can’t ignore Max and his future plans, but I don’t think there will be any big surprises".

These are significant words, setting a deadline for an agreement Mercedes would sign immediately - but which may fall through due to Verstappen’s hesitations. After all, there’s no guarantee that Mercedes will have the best car in 2026. Still, the Austrian manager was quick to deny reports suggesting he spent his summer holidays with the Dutch driver:

"There were only photomontages or photo collages involving planes. Spending holidays in the same places doesn’t necessarily mean we’re working together in F1. We've always gotten along very well, and we just happen to enjoy vacationing in the same spots".

In the days leading up to the Belgian Grand Prix, several pundits have shared their views on Max Verstappen’s contract situation, expressing strong doubts about a potential departure of George Russell from Mercedes. The British driver responded without commenting directly on what the future may hold:

"From my side, you have to judge. I have thick skin and, honestly, I don't care what’s written or what rumors spread. I prefer to focus on my job. Ultimately, a contract is not a guarantee. We’ve seen drivers lose their seats before when performance wasn’t right, regardless of agreements".

In conclusion, Russell doesn’t seem particularly worried:

"On the contrary, if the performance is there, everything will work out in the end. So I see no reason to worry or to do anything differently".

From high school graduation to the university of racing - it's a natural step for Andrea Kimi Antonelli. After finishing school exams, he now faces his real test of maturity behind the wheel of a Mercedes Formula 1 car. And where better than Spa, a track that has crowned the sport’s great champions, for the young Italian talent to show that he’s learned from past mistakes and earned a contract renewal.

"It’s been a tough season so far, with some highs and quite a few lows. I think the European tour didn’t go very well. In fact, I’d say it went rather badly - with some mistakes on my part and some technical issues. But I’m still learning and trying to gather all the information because sometimes, especially with back-to-back races, it’s hard to put everything together and apply it on track. Qualifying has been a bit weak, but overall the assessment is fairly positive - I’ve learned a lot and achieved some good results. In the second part of the season, it’ll be important to take further steps forward. After the first trio of races, I had to slightly change how I manage my energy throughout race weekends. That means taking more time for myself to recharge and be more mentally focused. But now I definitely have a much clearer perspective going into the second half of the season".

Inevitably, he also addresses the topic of a contract renewal with Mercedes:

"Honestly, I’ve never been worried. I know the situation and what the team wants, even with a view to the future. I believe Toto has also been clear about this recently, and that’s definitely encouraging. In general, the team is working really well. George and I are a solid pair of drivers and we’re doing our best to help the team regain performance. The atmosphere within the team is great, and it’s always a pleasure to return to the factory and see how hard everyone is pushing - not only for this year but also for the next. I’m confident the team knows what the best choice is for 2026, and I trust I’ll be in a good position".

Mercedes has been a team in search of identity for far too long. In this current car era, there have been Grands Prix where the Brackley cars seemed competitive and others where they clearly struggled. Due to its layout, Spa isn’t expected to favor the W16’s strengths - but the weather could play in their favor. Toto Wolff wants to capitalize on this and every other opportunity to finally find consistency before fully shifting focus to the 2026 project.

"The next two GPs offer a chance to head into the summer break with momentum. In the first 12 races of the season, we’ve been in the lead on several occasions. In others, we’ve struggled. We've been focusing our energy on reducing this delta, working hard to be competitive at every event. After the break, our attention will inevitably shift toward 2026. So, these next two races are important to ensure that the W16 performs as well as possible across different circuits and conditions. Spa and the Hungaroring are valuable for continuing this work. They have very different characteristics: Spa, with its elevation changes, high-speed corners, and unpredictable weather, contrasts with Budapest’s tight, twisty layout and typically high track temperatures. We’ll aim to make strong progress with the car, optimize each weekend, and fight for meaningful results".

Red Bull is about to experience its first race weekend without longtime team principal Christian Horner, the founder of the team born from the ashes of Jaguar. Horner, now dismissed, will be replaced by Laurent Mekies—former sporting director at Scuderia Ferrari and team principal of Racing Bulls since 2024. Ahead of the Grand Prix, Max Verstappen says he’s looking forward to working closely with Mekies:

"Spa is a classic circuit and has always been my favorite on the calendar. It’s a very ‘old school’ track where you have to get everything right to have a good lap. I love the high-speed corners like Eau Rouge, the unique layout, and the elevation changes that make the track more challenging to drive. At Silverstone, even though the race didn’t go as we hoped, it was promising to take pole position in qualifying. Last week, I was back at the factory to spend some time in the simulator with the team, and I’m really looking forward to working closely with Laurent Mekies. There’s always amazing support from the Orange Army in Belgium - it feels like a second home race for me, so I’ll be wearing the orange helmet again".

While expressing great respect for both Horner and the new Red Bull leadership under Mekies, Verstappen remains cautious about 2026—and even jokes about life’s unpredictability:

"Is there still a chance I won’t race with Red Bull next year? Well, there’s also a chance I won’t wake up tomorrow and won’t have any car to drive. Life can be unpredictable".

Then, getting serious again, the Dutch driver offers some reassurance to the Red Bull executives in Milton Keynes, echoing recent statements by Toto Wolff, who said he doesn't expect big surprises in the driver market:

"In general, I’m very happy where I am right now, and I still hope the goal remains the same as when I signed the new contract - to stay here until the end of my career. Horner’s departure has no influence on my future, and there’s nothing more to add. The only thing we want is to be more competitive - and we’re working on that".

There’s also a remark about the much-discussed simultaneous presence of Toto Wolff and the Dutch champion in Sardinia, right after the British Grand Prix:

"I don’t know anything about it, I was simply swimming in the middle of the sea. These things don’t interest me at all, because I went on vacation with my friends and family, and of course, it can happen that other people are in the same place. It’s possible that I’m with my family on the same island, but Toto could also be there".

The reigning World Champion also shared his thoughts after hearing the news of Horner’s dismissal, just a couple of days after the disappointing result at the British Grand Prix.

"In the end, it was the shareholders who decided they wanted a change. They run the team, and I’m the driver, so whatever they decide, they’re fully within their rights to do so. That’s how it went, and at the same time, looking back at these 20 years with Red Bull, I believe we’ve had many fantastic years, with great results. Of course, there were also less positive years, and I think the last year and a half didn’t go as we would have liked. So yes, probably the management decided they wanted a change in direction, and now we all need to look ahead".

He also made a rather explicit appreciation for Horner:

"Looking back doesn’t make sense; it won’t make you faster. But obviously, at the same time, we appreciate those 20 years, and that’s especially true for me, as I’ve always been with this team. What we’ve achieved as a team will always be remembered, and the relationship between Christian and me won’t change at all. Of course, he won’t be here now during the races, but he’s like a second family to me. When did I find out about his departure? I don’t know, I think it was half a day before; the team’s shareholders, with whom I have a good relationship, told me. I think it’s normal for them to inform the team members before the news becomes public. We talked a bit on the phone, and in the end, I said: If you think this is the way to go... I’m just the driver; you decide".

The Dutch driver finally welcomed Laurent Mekies' arrival at Racing Bulls with enthusiasm:

"Of course, I’ve already had several meetings with Laurent. The last two weeks have been quite intense for him, but I’m equally excited about the team’s future. What does he need to focus on? Well, obviously, managing the team. But he’s incredibly motivated, and I like that. You can see the fire in his eyes, and even though this is a new role for him, it’s an exciting novelty. His background as an engineer? Time will tell if that will be an advantage or not. I can’t say right now, after two weeks without even a race, that everything is suddenly different or better, but we’re trying to improve. We’re working on it. My first impression was positive; I like Laurent. He’s a really nice guy, and first of all, he’s very intelligent. He’s worked in different areas of F1, and I think this could be helpful".

Laurent Mekies is sincere when he says that he was informed with little notice about what was about to happen with Christian Horner:

"I received a call from Oliver Mintzlaff and Helmut Marko just hours before everyone else was informed, and I was caught by surprise. Then I tried to process what had happened, and I told myself: it’s Red Bull calling me for this role; it’s nothing but a privilege. Of course, I called them back, and the rest is history".

In the past two weeks, Laurent Mekies, now the new CEO and team principal of Red Bull Racing, has been trying to initiate contact with the workers at Milton Keynes and the team:

"The point is how to use time to meet these people, to get to know them, to interact, understand the strengths and dynamics. Every day I discover other talents and how the team works: there’s an incredible racing spirit. The guys and girls are here to win".

Mekies is calm and determined:

"At Red Bull, there’s only one desire - from the board of directors to every single team member - to fight for victories and championships. I’m here with full commitment to say that we will continue with these goals and also to have the best car on the grid. We will do whatever it takes to continue doing so in the future".

And therefore, Max Verstappen will be indispensable, as he seems to have leaned toward staying with the team:

"The truth is that Red Bull is deeply committed to Max, and the way we can show that is by giving him the best car possible. The rest will follow. Obviously, Max is crucial to the project, and we need his magic on track. He’s been with the team for a very long time, and his contribution is vital. I think the team has everything it needs to give him the car he wants. And, even more importantly, he has the talent to make it happen. Tsunoda? We’re talking about a guy who is undeniably fast; he has excellent interaction with the team. I’m confident that he will show his true value".

At the Belgian Grand Prix, Ferrari will debut the much-anticipated new rear suspension, which should resolve the issue of ground clearance. The aim is to widen the operational window of the SF-25, which has had to race so far with setup compromises that were not anticipated. In the week leading up to the Belgian Grand Prix, Ferrari conducted a filming day at Mugello to test this new solution, as at Spa, the Sprint Race format will allow only one practice session before the Sprint Qualifying. Therefore, Team Principal Frederic Vasseur confirms that a package of updates, including the new rear suspension, will debut in Belgium.

"The Belgian Grand Prix opens the final back-to-back race weekend before the summer break. We’ve worked hard at the factory to bring an update package for the SF-25, which will be a focal point this weekend, to ensure we maximize its potential right from the start. In Belgium, we’ll also have a Sprint weekend, meaning that starting on the right foot will be a priority. As always in this highly competitive Formula 1, every little detail can make a difference, and we’ll remain focused on ourselves to give our best in every phase of the weekend, on a track where even the weather could play a crucial role".

Ferrari’s current situation doesn’t align with the initial expectations: Charles Leclerc has earned only 119 points, almost half of what Oscar Piastri has (234), while Lewis Hamilton is even further behind, trailing his teammate by 16 points. Spa will be interesting to watch regarding the British driver’s performance, both because he has always been competitive there and because Ferrari is introducing the new rear suspension.

"Will we finally see what this car is capable of? No. Tomorrow we’ll test the new suspension. The positive thing is seeing that new parts are coming in. Our development pace hasn’t been what I expected. Optimizing the new package in a Sprint is difficult. We’ll have to maximize our time on track and the information gathered from both cars".

Lewis Hamilton is not exactly happy with the progress of these early months with Ferrari. The British driver still needs to fully adapt to a new team and environment, which work with different methods. He, too, has had to meet the team halfway, and that’s what he’s been doing during this break, preparing a document with all the issues of the car.

"At Maranello, I’ve been in many meetings with Vigna, Elkann, and Vasseur, but also in technical meetings with Serra. I’ve prepared documents with the various issues of the car and with the changes we could make within the team. The reason I wrote the documents is that I see huge potential in this team: nothing comes close to the passion, but it’s a huge organization, and there are many moving parts, not all of them working at full capacity. That’s why the team hasn’t had the success I think it deserves: I believe it’s my job to challenge every area, especially those at the top who make the decisions. Over the last 20 years, Ferrari has had extraordinary drivers like Raikkonen, Alonso, and Vettel, all World Champions. But Fernando and Sebastian didn’t win here, and I refuse to let that happen to me. So, I’m making an extra effort: I’ve been fortunate enough to have experiences in two other great teams, and although there are cultural differences, if you do the same things, you’ll get the same results. I’m here to win, and this is a crucial moment for me".

At Spa, Scuderia Ferrari, which is debuting the new rear suspension designed to improve ground clearance control - a weak point highlighted in the early races of the season - aims to reduce pitch and stabilize the car’s setup, hoping to regain competitiveness. Clearly, Charles Leclerc hopes for the same:

"It’s a Sprint weekend, so we only have FP1 to assess the suspension, but I’m relatively confident we won’t have too many problems. It’s been in development and on the program for a long time, and I’m happy to have it as soon as possible. I hope it’ll allow us to make a step forward, and I don’t anticipate any adaptation difficulties. We haven’t noticed any differences in aerodynamics or car behavior, but I won’t go into specifics. These are things we still need to understand, and it would be foolish to comment on what does what; we’ll find out tomorrow on track. I don’t think it will give me more confidence or lead me to less aggressive setups. For now, I prefer to focus on performance rather than confidence. An aggressive approach doesn’t always pay off, and I think I saw that last weekend at Silverstone, where, of course, I had some pretty big difficulties in the wet. I know this is the risk of such an extreme setup. I don’t think the situation will improve, because we still have to set the car up in a relatively similar position to get the most out of it, but I’m happy to follow this path".

The weather (there’s a possibility of rain during the race) could add another difficulty in evaluating the updates:

"Given the forecasts for this weekend, we might have to compromise to be faster in the wet, but there’s a lot of work behind the scenes to try to turn things around in those conditions, because we’ve really struggled in the wet for many years. Even with Lewis’ experience, it will be interesting to hear how we can make progress in those conditions. I’d like to know 100% where these difficulties come from, but I think it’s a combination of factors that, when combined - especially in difficult conditions - make the situation very complicated. Actually, rain has always been my biggest strength in junior categories, but I have to say that since I joined Ferrari, I’ve lost a lot of that strength and struggled a lot. We’re trying to figure out why".

Oscar Piastri, who had nearly two weeks off (or almost) to recover from the disappointment of the penalty that prevented him from winning the British Grand Prix, is now back on track at Spa, still leading the World Championship, and eager to reverse the positive trend of his teammate Lando Norris, who has managed to reduce the points gap by 14 in the standings in the last two races. Perhaps even close the difficult internal battle within the McLaren team for supremacy, and ultimately, for the World Championship. However, this battle might see the two McLaren drivers divided even on the technical front, as the young Australian driver continues to refuse to use the modification to the front suspension geometry, which has instead boosted Lando Norris’ performance in recent races. This was confirmed by Oscar Piastri during the traditional Thursday press conference:

"It’s not an update, it’s just a different part. I tried it in the simulator, but since we have other real updates coming, I want to have as clear a picture as possible. It’s a minor modification that should help in some ways but also makes some things worse. If it were simply an advantage, I’d install it without question. But it’s not like that. I’m looking forward to starting the second half of the season, and especially this weekend. It’s my favorite circuit on the calendar, and it’s always fun to go on track at Spa. The first half of the year went well, and I think, in some ways, it went better than any of us expected. So, I’m excited for the second half. The Silverstone penalty? I had plenty of time to analyze the situation with the team, and I think I’ve understood how things are. But anyway, I think I’m in a good position in terms of momentum. Even though I lost points in the last two weekends, I believe that in the end, the pace has been very good. In Austria, we had a tough battle, while at Silverstone, aside from the penalty, it seemed like a very fast weekend and a very positive race. So, ultimately, from that perspective, I’d be more worried if I was struggling with pace. But I really feel good with the car, with the team, and with my driving".

After winning two consecutive Grand Prix for the first time in his career, Lando Norris aims for the hat-trick in Belgium: this is his home track (his mother is from Flanders), and he arrives as the favorite thanks to his results at the Red Bull Ring and Silverstone. The British driver is not afraid of his teammate: the opportunity to close the gap is too important.

"I feel like I’ve got my pace back. The most positive thing about these last two weekends is that the pace has been better from the start. I felt more comfortable with the car and understood how to get the most out of it. Sometimes, this makes me smile more than just winning itself, because seeing progress is very rewarding. I know there’s still a lot to do: I need to maintain this level of performance more consistently, but I’m confident I can do it. I understand everything better now: we’re talking about tiny details, but I feel more of a threat to Oscar now. We’re still trying to work on a few aspects so that the car gives me more, like it did last season. But there were things I needed to improve, and I think I’ve managed that. However, no one cares who won at Silverstone or in the last races. Tomorrow, we’ll measure ourselves on track. It only matters who can be the best tomorrow and over the next three days. I think this will be a weekend with many opportunities for everyone, even more than at Silverstone. We have an advantage over everyone because the team has given us a really good car. I don’t expect the same in a weekend like this. With the weather, anything can happen. It will be more about being the most consistent rather than the fastest".

Finally, Lando Norris shares his thoughts on the technical revolution of 2026:

"I think Formula 1 can’t be any better than what we’ve had in the last few years. In 2026, the gaps will be bigger, but that doesn’t mean the races will be worse. I think there are many things that will make the racing better. The only thing I don’t want is to see too many artificial and fake races. That’s not motorsport, and it’s not what I like. They won’t be as spectacular in terms of lap times because in the end, you lose speed at the end of the straights. I believe there are still aspects I’d like to improve, but it will be a new challenge and a fresh start for everyone. That’s what makes F1 exciting, and in the end, we just want to drive".

On Friday, July 25, 2025, fresh from his maiden Formula 1 podium at the previous round, Nico Hulkenberg leads a gaggle of cars out of the pit lane as soon as the lights turn green, with drivers and teams keen to make the most of the single one-hour practice session ahead of Sprint Qualifying this afternoon. Almost immediately, Carlos Sainz suffers problems in his Williams, the Spaniard reporting:

"I cannot accelerate, it's just limp home mode".

As he crawls back round to the pits, while Lance Stroll also reports an issue with his Aston Martin after the installation lap and returns to the garage. Out on track, Verstappen sets the initial benchmark after the first set of runs with a 1'45"545 on the medium tyre, Red Bull bringing a substantial upgrade package to Belgium this weekend, which includes a new cooling system and front suspension. Drivers immediately begin to push the limits, Alex Albon dipping the wheels of his Williams in the gravel at Malmedy and running wide at Les Combes, with Lewis Hamilton's Ferrari jumping the kerb at the top of Eau Rouge and also running deep at Les Combes. Drivers' Championship leader Piastri becomes the first driver to dip below the 1'45"0 barrier, posting a 1'44"979 on the hard Pirelli compound, before Verstappen jumps back to the top approaching the 15-minute mark with a 1'44"236, still on the mediums. F1 rookies Kimi Antonelli and Franco Colapinto both experience lock-ups at La Source in separate incidents, the Mercedes driver running so deep on entry as to clip the edge of the gravel trap as both rejoin the circuit, before Kick Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto is the next driver to exceed track limits after running wide at the final chicane. Charles Leclerc moves to the top of the leaderboard with a 1'44"148 on the hard tyre despite having the distraction of teammate Hamilton and Bortoleto running at a reduced pace at the top of Eau Rouge. Colapinto becomes the first driver to use a set of Pirelli's soft tyre with 25 minutes remaining, moving up to eighth on a 1'44"847, before Stroll, who has changed seats earlier in the session, moves to the top on a 1'43"112 approaching the 10-minute mark. A flurry of Qualifying simulations follows, with Piastri registering a 1'42"123 before lowering that to a 1'42"022 with his final run that finishes as the session's fastest lap. Verstappen finishes 0.404s further back, showing impressive speed in the opening sector before losing out in the middle segment of the lap. Norris claims third having run wide at Stavelot on his first flying lap with the soft tyres, as Mercedes' George Russell is fourth from Leclerc and teammate Antonelli. Seven-time World Champion Hamilton takes seventh, just over a second behind Piastri, as the Aston Martin cars, which feature upgrades this weekend, of Stroll and Fernando Alonso finish ahead of Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar, who completes the top 10.

After only a single one-hour practice session, drivers head out on the mandatory medium tyre for the 12-minute SQ1 session with Hadjar the first to venture out on the 4.350-mile circuit. His Racing Bulls teammate Lawson has to immediately back off behind, though, with Hulkenberg noted for an unsafe release into the path of the Kiwi driver in the pit lane. While most drivers hit the circuit in the opening minutes after stacking up in the pit lane to generate a gap to the car in front, frantic work continues on the right-rear of Verstappen's Red Bull as Hadjar sets the early benchmark with a 1'42"711. Antonelli's opening flying lap is derailed after a high-speed 360-degree spin through the gravel at Stavelot before rejoining and slightly impeding Mercedes teammate Russell, who is following close behind. The McLaren duo of Piastri and Norris move to the top of the times, the former on a 1'41"769, before Verstappen's opening lap splits the pair and leaves him just under three tenths behind the Australian. Hamilton is left in the drop zone as the final runs commence but fails to improve his opening sector time and, despite having set a personal best in the second sector, the seven-time World Champion suffers rear-locking and a high-speed spin at the final chicane. It leaves the Briton classified down in 18th while the yellow flags impede several drivers behind on their final flying laps, although Bearman improves up to 14th having lifted through the caution area ahead of Alpine's Gasly. Williams' Albon is the first driver to miss the cut by just 0.041s after setting a 1'43"212 from Hulkenberg, who has the start of his lap compromised by Lawson as both prepare to exit the final corner. Colapinto finishes 19th as Alpine lacks straight-line speed ahead of Antonelli, the young Italian rookie finishing 3.652s behind Piastri's best after complaining of car damage and flat-spotted tyres from his earlier spin. The McLaren duo are the first out on track, Norris setting a 1'42"182 before Piastri posts a 1'41"736 but he is stripped of his time after being deemed to have exceeded track limits at the top of Eau Rouge. Both drivers are beaten by Verstappen, though, the four-time World Champion setting a 1'41"583 as Leclerc slots into second with a 1'41"786 as all drivers use medium tyres in the second part of Sprint Qualifying. 

Piastri moves up to third with his second lap on a 1'41"128, but it leaves him dangerously close to elimination as the remaining drivers improve with their final laps. As the chequered flag flies, Norris jumps back to first with a 1'41"412 having fallen into the drop zone ahead of Verstappen and Leclerc, while impressive laps from Ocon, Bortoleto, Gasly, Bearman, Sainz, and Hadjar guarantee them a spot in the final part of Sprint Qualifying. Piastri survives by just 0.041s from Lawson, as Tsunoda, Russell, and the two Aston Martins of Alonso and Stroll fail to make the cut. SQ3 essentially becomes a one-lap shoot-out as drivers are limited to just one set of Pirelli soft tyres, with Norris the first to set a benchmark on a 1'41"128. But the Briton ends up more than half a second behind his teammate, Piastri posting a 1'40"510 for his first Sprint pole of the season as Verstappen splits the pair. With the leading contenders having set their laps, it is left to the remaining drivers to register their laps, with Leclerc best of the rest but 0.768s behind Piastri's fastest lap. Haas enjoys a strong showing, Ocon setting the fastest sector one time and finishing fifth, with teammate Bearman seventh as Sainz splits the duo. Gasly takes eighth from Hadjar and Bortoleto, the Brazilian's 1'42"176 leaving him 1.666s slower than Piastri's pole position time. The Sprint Qualifying delivers the first verdict, with Oscar Piastri securing pole position, not only beating Max Verstappen by 0.5s but also Lando Norris, his teammate, by 0.6s. Norris had been coming off strong performances in Austria and Great Britain. The Australian driver made the difference in the more technical sections of the track, such as the fast Les Fagnes sequence and the corner leading into the long stretch towards Stavelot, where not only downforce and grip are required, but also driver precision. In the second sector, Piastri managed to pull away from Lando Norris by 0.3s, showcasing a high level of confidence both in himself and in the car. These aspects also emerge in the post-qualifying comments.

"Thanks to the team, the car was fantastic, and this is a track I love. It's my favorite of the year, and maybe that gave me a couple of extra tenths. It’s always fun here, and when the car drives well like today, it’s a pleasure. The car was in a good window from the first lap. I think I immediately had good confidence. I believe the last few weekends have been good in terms of pace, but not as much in terms of results, so it’s nice to get a result like this. We’ll see, the Red Bulls were really fast on the straights, which makes life difficult because Spa is probably the worst track to take pole. However, the car’s pace is really good, I hope to have a great race".

On the other hand, it’s a tough blow for Lando Norris, in terms of timing, even though the recent GP winner remains positive and optimistic. Interviewed after qualifying, Lando Norris admitted he didn’t manage to complete his best lap but expressed no major concerns, looking forward to the Sprint Race and the following sessions:

"I was fairly quick, I’d say, that’s the only thing I can say. It wasn’t the cleanest lap, but the gap to first is quite big. I’m not too disappointed because it’s only the sprint, so there’s nothing to worry too much about, but I have things to work on".

A task that, as the driver himself admitted, will begin in the coming hours:

"It’s impossible to say if my preparation lap wore out my tires or maybe made them better. You can never know, you need to analyze. Oscar managed to put everything together at the end. It’s a weekend with lots of points up for grabs, and it’s only Friday, so let’s not talk too soon. We’d like to be faster, of course, but this is the situation now. I need to do something better, even working through the night".

Max Verstappen, too, had to settle for second place on the grid, a result that satisfies him as it exceeds expectations: the Dutch driver managed to outpace Lando Norris, but keeping him behind won’t be easy.

"I think I got the maximum today. Being second behind them is already a good result for us. I had fun, the lap was good: sure, the gap is large, but it was the same in free practice, so it wasn’t a huge surprise. We just need to focus on ourselves, work on the car’s balance, and try to go faster".

Top speed is an aspect that could allow Max Verstappen to attack, but the World Champion doesn’t consider it an advantage that could change the hierarchy:

"I can use the straight-line advantage at the start of the Sprint, but I don’t think being faster in the first sector matters much when you’re half a second slower. We just need to race our race and see what we can do. The updates? I think they gave something to the car, but it’s always hard to say exactly what they do in a Sprint weekend. If you look at the gap, it’s not what we want: we keep looking for better performance, but other teams are doing the same".

There are few reasons for Ferrari to smile: the team finishes the Sprint Qualifying with Lewis Hamilton in P18, and Charles Leclerc in P5, having delivered a good lap in SQ3 but still 0.7s off pole position. While appreciating the improvements the new rear suspension brought to the car and the SF-25’s driveability through the Ardennes corners, the Monegasque driver expected more in terms of outright performance.

"I felt the impact of the changes, but today the gap is huge. I’m sure we’ve made progress, but for some reason, McLaren seems to be even faster than usual at this track. So, it’s a bit disappointing in that sense,” admitted the Monegasque driver. “I think we’ve seen what we wanted with the updates, but it’s a shame to have such a tough qualifying, especially in terms of the gaps. The car was more driveable, and the sensations were pretty good. On one hand, I’m happy that the car is improving. On the other hand, we’re still seven tenths off. It’s true that it’s a long track, but that’s a huge gap, so there’s definitely a lot of work to do. I don’t think we’re doing anything wrong in particular, but we just need more grip".

And Frederic Vasseur can only add:

"I think Charles did a good lap. We struggled a bit at the beginning of the lap, but then we caught up with Verstappen, and I believe Max setup-wise is more aggressive for qualifying than for the race. However, it’s true that Piastri has been flying since the beginning of the weekend, and he’s six tenths ahead of Norris. He’s on another planet, but we need to focus on ourselves. We have room for improvement, and we’ve only done a few laps with the new package and the new suspension, so we need to keep understanding the new car to improve it, but we’re on the right track".

Regarding Hamilton and his problems, Vasseur highlighted that - more than the final spin - the British driver’s qualification was compromised in an earlier attempt, where he was distracted by a mistake from Yuki Tsunoda on the gravel:

"In the first mistake, I think he was distracted by Tsunoda going off into the gravel because you can see a big cloud of dust on the onboard. In the second mistake, I think he was just a bit too aggressive on the brakes".

Finally, the Ferrari team principal shares his first thoughts on the new rear suspension introduced on the SF-25:

"The data we’ve collected is in line with expectations, and that’s always positive, but this weekend everyone brought updates. That means that if you make a step forward by two or three tenths, it doesn’t necessarily put you two or three tenths ahead of everyone else, because if others are making progress too, you might end up in the same position".

There was a lot of disappointment and very little desire to talk. That’s the mood of Lewis Hamilton at the end of the Sprint Qualifying, where he was shockingly eliminated in Q1 after spinning at the entrance to the final chicane before the finish line. Interviewed, the British driver answers with one-word responses, showing clear frustration.

"The rear locking? Yeah, I think it’s the first time it’s happened in my career".

When asked about the new suspension and the potential improvement in car driveability with this update, Hamilton didn’t even respond, simply shaking his head visibly.

"There’s one day to work, and we’ll try to do something, although right now [the situation] is extremely frustrating. There’s been a lot of work, and being in this situation is not great. Hopefully, we’ll do better tomorrow".

The Sprint Qualifying of the Belgian Grand Prix turned into a kind of sporting nightmare for Mercedes, as neither Andrea Kimi Antonelli nor George Russell managed to reach SQ3. The Italian driver, due to a spin at Stavelot, will start from the 20th and last position on the grid, but it was precisely the rookie's mistake that indirectly compromised his teammate's hopes. Russell, who qualified P13, drove over the gravel spread on the track due to Antonelli's mistake, an incident that, according to him, caused damage to his W16.

"We had the pace all day. In SQ1, I went over the gravel in the area where Kimi went off, and for the rest of the lap, I felt something was wrong with the car. The next lap was even worse, and in SQ2 it was terrible. We saw some damage to the car, and we need to figure out if that was the reason, because obviously, it’s a shock to be out in SQ2, and the gap was really big, so yes, I’m sure there’s a reason".

Failing to make it to SQ3, according to Russell, should not be attributed to any setup mistake:

"No, the pace was good in practice and in SQ1, but as I said, as soon as I went over that gravel, the car wasn’t the same, and we saw some damage".

The Sprint Qualifying was full of surprises, starting with SQ1, which saw the elimination of Lewis Hamilton and, as mentioned, Andrea Kimi Antonelli. At the end of the qualifying, Antonelli commented:

"I had good confidence in the car, and the lap was also good. Based on projections, I would have finished fourth or fifth. I still need to analyze exactly why I lost it all of a sudden when I put my foot down. I need to check if it was the wind or the tire temperature because it just snapped as soon as I got on the throttle, so it wasn’t ideal. Tomorrow in the Sprint, I’ll start from the back, but I have another qualifying session to try and start as far forward as possible on Sunday".

On Saturday, July 26, 2025, at the start of the Sprint Race, while Piastri initially makes a solid launch to hold onto P1 off the line, Verstappen surges ahead later in the lap to take the lead. But as the Sprint enters into its second half, the Dutchman faces increasing pressure from both Piastri and the other McLaren of Lando Norris. Despite Piastri’s best efforts, Verstappen continues to defend his position and seals a dominant win, with Piastri and Norris ultimately settling for second and third respectively. Charles Leclerc follows in fourth for Ferrari, despite briefly running ahead of Norris in the early stages, while Haas’ Esteban Ocon, Williams’ Carlos Sainz, the other Haas of Ollie Bearman, and Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar follow in fifth through to eighth. After just one practice session on Friday, Sprint Qualifying decides the grid for the third 100km dash of the season, a format that awards points to the top eight finishers from a maximum of eight for P1 down to one for P8. Piastri storms to his first Sprint pole of the campaign by setting an impressive lap of 1'40"510, putting him over four-tenths clear of Verstappen in second, while the other McLaren of Norris settles for third. Meanwhile, there are some surprises further down the order; Hamilton is the shock exit from SQ1 in P18, while both Mercedes cars miss out on the top-10 shootout, with Antonelli eliminated early in P20 and Russell ending the session in P13. Ahead of the Sprint getting underway, one change is confirmed to the grid as Franco Colapinto - who has ended Sprint Qualifying in P19 - starts from the pit lane due to Alpine changing the rear wing of his A525 under parc ferme conditions. 

There is further trouble for the Enstone-based squad when Pierre Gasly’s car is pulled off the grid in the build-up to the Sprint, with the Alpine crew rolling the vehicle back through the pit lane and to the garage due to a water system issue. When the tyre blankets come off prior to the formation lap, it is revealed that the whole field will start on the medium compound with the exception of Colapinto, starting on the soft tyres from the pit lane. Meanwhile, it is soon confirmed that Gasly will not take the start, with the team unable to fix the issue on his car in time. As the lights go out, Piastri makes a strong start to lead away from pole position - but Verstappen is not ready to give up, the Dutchman making a stunning overtake by getting in Piastri’s slipstream down the Kemmel straight to surge into P1. Meanwhile, the other McLaren of Norris also loses a position, with Leclerc taking P3 from the Briton just behind the leaders. Behind them, Ocon holds onto P5 ahead of Sainz in P6, Bearman in P7, and Hadjar in P8, the Frenchman gaining a place following the exit of his countryman. Piastri remains on the tail of Verstappen, with the gap standing at around half a second as Lap 4 ticks down, yet the Australian cannot quite close in. Elsewhere, Norris retakes third place from Leclerc, while Alpine confirms that Gasly has joined the Sprint two laps down, the team seemingly using the event as a test session. Further back, Antonelli makes a move on Nico Hulkenberg to grab 17th place, the Italian looking to make up for his disappointing Sprint Qualifying. Piastri, meanwhile, looks to have kicked up a little gravel as he pushes hard in his pursuit of Verstappen.

"I’ve got no rear already".

Hamilton is heard radioing in on Lap 7, the Ferrari driver running in P14 following his off in Sprint Qualifying on Saturday. Antonelli is chasing Hamilton by Lap 9, the rookie looking to put pressure on the driver he replaced at Mercedes. Up ahead, Norris is now just six-tenths behind Piastri, with the Australian the same margin behind Verstappen. Piastri looks to find a way around the outside of the Red Bull on Lap 11, but the World Champion manages to defend.

"I can’t brake".

Verstappen reports, having a slight moment at the last chicane. None of the trio is ready to give up as the Sprint enters into its final laps, with Norris told that Piastri’s battery is at mid-level as the Briton remains on the tail of his teammate. Further back, Alex Albon is also in fighting mode as he engages in a close scrap with Fernando Alonso for P14. Despite his efforts, Piastri cannot close the gap further to Verstappen and the Dutch driver crosses the line to seal a dominant Sprint victory, the Red Bull man taking the chequered flag by 0.753s from his closest rival. Norris is a further six-tenths back from Piastri in third place, ahead of Leclerc, Ocon, Sainz, Bearman, and Hadjar in the remaining points-paying positions of fourth to eighth respectively. 

Max Verstappen rightfully won the Sprint Race, putting on a great defensive performance that allowed him to resist the overtaking attempts from Oscar Piastri. The Australian driver, after being overtaken by his rival on the Kemmel straight in the first lap, was unable to regain the lead, as the Dutch driver made the most of his Red Bull Racing's extreme setup, designed specifically to give him maximum straight-line speed.

"I knew that at the start there would be an opportunity, and we took it. We also had new tires. When you’re in front, you can manage your pace freely and you don’t overheat the tires as much. I knew we would have an advantage in the straight, but will it work for the rest of the weekend? We need to check the weather. It didn’t go great on Sunday in Silverstone".

Finally, Verstappen shared his thoughts on Laurent Mekies’ debut as team principal:

"Mekies? In two weeks, you can’t expect sudden changes. It’s all about studying. Anyway, he’s very dedicated and motivated. It’s been a positive start. Simon also has a lot of experience on track".

The Sprint Race for Charles Leclerc ended where it began: in fourth position. The Monegasque driver tried to give himself and his fans some excitement, managing to attack and overtake Lando Norris during the first lap, taking advantage of the McLaren's slipstream on the Kemmel straight. However, the illusion lasted only a few laps. Then the McLaren’s superior pace made the difference, and the English driver regained third place.

"The overtake at the start? The strategy was that I had nothing to lose, so I had to take some risks. I tried, and we moved into third, but unfortunately, it didn’t last. The McLarens are much faster, and the same goes for the Red Bull. It’s clear we’re still missing something, it’s no secret, we knew that. We need to keep working, and I hope we’ll see the results soon".

Leclerc also spoke about the new rear suspension that Ferrari brought to Spa. An upgrade that delivered the expected results, but clearly isn’t enough to compete on equal terms with the British cars:

"The upgrade worked, but McLaren also brought updates, so we’re not closing the gap. However, the upgrade worked in our favor, so that’s positive, but we need more to try and close the gap to McLaren. The result is a bit disappointing because I thought there was more we could do. But the top three managed their tires in the first three laps, and when they started pushing, there was a four-tenth per lap gap. That’s the best we can do".

Lewis Hamilton's Sprint Race was marked by the mistake in the Sprint Qualifying, which eliminated him in SQ1, forcing him to start from the penultimate row. The British driver was unable to climb up the ranks and finished the race in P15, overtaking only Nico Hülkenberg and Alexander Albon.

"It was very useful to get some laps in; it’s essentially the first time I’ve driven this new package over a long distance, and in a way, I’m very grateful to the team, which brought me some new parts. Charles had already received them in Montreal, so he probably has more experience than me, while yesterday was my first time. I was reflecting on the fact that Charles had a similar incident in Canada to what happened to me yesterday. Today I was able to understand better what changes we need to make to optimize the situation. We were all in the DRS train, and I couldn’t do much today, but I definitely learned a lot about the improvements we have. In the end, I made the mistake with the settings, and I probably applied too much brake pressure, so my responsibility is clear. It almost looked like I didn’t know how to brake, but I’ve never had a rear lock-up in my life. Let’s say the brake balance was quite hard to find because I was always having understeer mid-corner, and then in the exit and braking, there’s a whole series of characteristics you don’t want to have. You need to find the right compromise between the entry and traction. It’s very difficult to find with this year’s car, but we’re working in that direction".

Anyone who was expecting the SF-25 to be closer to the fight at the front, perhaps capable of battling on equal terms (or almost) with the McLarens and constantly ahead of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull, was probably disappointed with the first official F1 sessions at Spa. Who knows, maybe even Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur was among them, as he was hoping the Belgian Grand Prix would be a potential turning point for the Maranello team’s season. However, things haven’t gone according to expectations so far.

"I think we have a pace deficit of at least 0.3s compared to Max. We are still in a fine-tuning phase with the brakes and suspension. Little by little, we’ll try to make up the gap and get back into the pack. Changes in setup for qualifying? Yes, but I think the problem will be tuning the car for tomorrow because heavy rain is expected. The race pace is important. So, I don’t know, we’ll see".

A few hours on from the third Sprint of the season, the drivers and teams switch their attentions to Qualifying in order to decide the starting order for Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix. There is early drama prior to Q1 getting underway, with Alonso reporting that he nearly crashes with Bearman after the Haas moves into the pit lane queue ahead of him, while Hulkenberg ends up with a damaged front wing following contact with the Aston Martin of Stroll, an incident that will be investigated after the session for an unsafe release. The whole field bolts on the soft tyres for the opening runs of the 18-minute segment, with the exception of Colapinto on the mediums, and once every driver puts a lap on the board it is Leclerc on top of the timesheets with his effort of 1'41"635. His time is then bettered by Norris, who goes faster by 0.625s - while Piastri then slots into second, but still just under two-tenths adrift of his teammate. At the other end of the spectrum, the drivers at risk in the danger zone are Colapinto, Russell, Stroll, Antonelli, and Bortoleto, with Alonso on the bubble in P15. As the clock ticks down for the final minutes of Q1, the track becomes busy as everybody tries to get themselves into the top-10 shootout. Both Mercedes cars improve, with Antonelli slotting into 11th while Russell moves up to eighth. But there is trouble for Antonelli as the better efforts of others push the Italian down the order, moving him down to P18 and out of the session. Also exiting are the Aston Martin duo of Alonso and Stroll, who end up at the rear of the field in P19 and P20. Meanwhile, all eyes are on Hamilton as the seven-time World Champion finds himself at risk. The Briton initially does enough to haul himself up to P7 - but a shock twist sees his lap deleted for exceeding track limits, leaving him down in P16, one spot ahead of Colapinto. The session continues at pace with Q2, Verstappen leading the pack out as the next segment gets underway. Once again, the soft tyre is the preferred option for the remaining 15 drivers as they battle to progress to Q1. Piastri sets the benchmark as the first laps come in, the Australian pumping in a 1'40"626 to go just 0.089s clear of Norris, while Verstappen is some three-tenths off in third. Further back, Bearman has a moment after a big snap through Pouhon, forcing the Haas driver to abort his lap. With the opening efforts in, the names at risk are Hulkenberg, Bortoleto, Gasly, Sainz, and Bearman - and, following a brief lull in the action, a queue of cars peels out of the pit lane for their final runs of Q2, prompting a seemingly annoyed Piastri to comment:

"Some people need bigger mirrors".

While Verstappen opts to remain in the pits, the rest of the field tries to better their times. Gasly moves up to ninth, while Bortoleto goes into an eye-catching eighth before an improvement from Lawson then puts the Racing Bulls driver into that slot. The Haas pair - who enjoy a strong Sprint earlier in the day - both miss the cut when trying to improve, leaving Ocon in P11 and Bearman in P12. Meanwhile, Gasly is pushed down to 13th place, and a tough Qualifying leaves Hulkenberg down in 14th ahead of the Williams of Sainz in 15th. As the first laps go on the board, Piastri initially looks to have taken provisional pole ahead of Verstappen - only for Norris to storm through on an even quicker time, the Briton beating his teammate by 0.189s via his effort of 1'40"562. Verstappen - some half a second back in third - reports that he just doesn’t have the same grip in the Red Bull, while Leclerc has taken fourth ahead of Russell, Tsunoda, Lawson, Albon, Hadjar, and Bortoleto. With the clock ticking down, all 10 cars head out for their final grid-deciding runs. Verstappen improves his effort but remains in third place, while Norris also does not better his previous lap. Leclerc moves up to third, pushing Verstappen down a place - but the question remains over whether Piastri can steal pole from Norris. It turns out that the Australian cannot, with his improved lap ultimately not enough to beat Norris’ previous time, meaning that the Briton will start from pole position. Elsewhere, Albon is a notable improvement in fifth, putting him ahead of Russell in sixth. Tsunoda secures his best grid slot as a Red Bull driver in seventh, while the Racing Bulls of Hadjar and Lawson take eighth and ninth, with Bortoleto rounding out the top 10 for Kick Sauber. From being over 0.6s behind to securing pole position: Lando Norris takes pole at the Belgian GP, ahead of Oscar Piastri by less than 0.1s. The British driver takes a moment to savor his achievement:

"There’s been a lot of talk about the gap I had to Piastri yesterday, but there were three tenths mainly because I was the one to leave the pits first. Then, of course, there were things I could have done better, and today I managed to do them".

Ahead of tomorrow's race, Norris isn't worried about the weather because McLaren is strong in all conditions:

"I hope for dry conditions, especially for the fans. In the last 10 years, I think it’s always rained here over the race weekend. Anyway, whether it’s wet, dry, or half-and-half, we’ve got the best car, and that’s what matters".

From a sensational pole position in Sprint Qualifying to being overtaken by his teammate - and his biggest and most threatening rival for the title - Lando Norris, through to the painful overtake by Max Verstappen at the start of the Sprint Race: Oscar Piastri's weekend continues with its ups and downs. Struggling in Q3 with a mistake in Turn 14, which, according to him, cost him something and prevented him from securing pole position:

"I think yesterday, for some reason, the gap with Lando seemed bigger than it really was. My lap today was going well until I made that mistake. In the end, I think it was just a case of imperfect execution on my part, and it’s a shame".

During the FIA press conference, Piastri further elaborates:

"How much did I lose with that mistake in Turn 14? A lot. Enough for pole, I believe. The lap up until that point was great, but in the end, it doesn’t matter whether I had the chance to do it or not, because the truth is, I didn’t. So it’s a bit disappointing because both my laps in Q3 were like that. But the car was fantastic again, and I felt pretty good, but the second lap didn’t go well".

Oscar Piastri also comments on the possibility of returning the same treatment to Lando Norris, similar to what Max Verstappen did in the morning by overtaking him decisively at the end of the long Kemmel straight:

"Well, first, it depends on whether the track will be dry. If it’s dry, yes, but if it’s wet, there will be other difficulties. We’ll have to wait and see what the weather will be like, but I’m hoping it’ll be dry, even though there have been times when the pole-sitter has kept the lead. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen this morning, but anyway, this is probably the hardest track on the calendar to maintain the first position when starting from pole".

The beauty - and probably also the downside - of Sprint-format weekends is that it only takes a couple of hours to go from triumphing to being the day’s biggest loser. In this way, in a Formula 1 where the new format makes everything even faster, Max Verstappen didn’t even have time to properly enjoy his Sprint Race win before he had to comment on a disappointing fourth place in Qualifying, behind both McLaren drivers Norris and Piastri, and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. A subpar result mainly due to setup choices - probably influenced by weather forecasts predicting heavy rain on Sunday - that destabilized an RB21 that had looked almost perfect in the Sprint Race.

"The balance didn’t help me much. The car was worse to drive, honestly, and then in Q3, I almost spun… I don’t know why, but I didn’t have the same grip as before. In the second attempt, we tried something different with the tires, but that had a negative effect because I had incredible wheel spin and lost a lot of time. It’s a shame because otherwise, I would have been third, and still quite close to the McLarens, even with an imperfect balance. But I was hoping to be at least third".

For Max Verstappen, though, closing the gap to the McLaren drivers on a fast lap doesn't necessarily mean he can truly challenge them during the race:

"Normally, we don’t have many opportunities to attack them, and today, without the right feeling in qualifying, it became even harder to do so. Right setup for the rain? Not necessarily, I think McLaren will be incredibly fast in the wet. Normally, they are even faster in the rain than in the dry because they manage tire overheating better. And with intermediates, that advantage is even greater because it’s a very sensitive compound. That’s why I’m not expecting miracles. It’s one thing to have a good fast lap, but they are miles ahead of us when it comes to tire management. So, it becomes almost impossible to fight them in the race. Right now, my battle, whether it’s wet or dry, I think will be with Charles. The goal has to be third place".

Toto Wolff tried to shake up Andrea Kimi Antonelli ahead of Qualifying:

"I told him I’d give him 500 euros in cash if he made a mistake because he was pushing. He has to push, he has to keep giving his best, he’s 0.2-0.3s off Russell".

The Mercedes team principal also added that it wasn’t a good tactic to have Antonelli do a long run in the only FP session, which should have been entirely dedicated to qualifying simulations. Antonelli was eliminated in SQ1 yesterday and in Q1 today, and he doesn’t hide his disappointment, admitting that he's going through a difficult time and appeared emotionally drained after his elimination:

"I’m going through a tough time, I don’t have confidence with the car, I’m having issues with the balance, and that’s reflected in my lap times. I need to find the light at the end of the tunnel. If it rains tomorrow, it’ll be easier to recover compared to a standard race".

Toto Wolff, in turn, emphasizes that it will be unacceptable to repeat such a disappointing start to the weekend in terms of performance in Hungary next week:

"As a team, this weekend has been way below our standards so far. It’s been the worst weekend of the year, and we need to figure out why, and we absolutely need to start better next weekend in Budapest".

George Russell has decided to go for a low-downforce setup to salvage the situation, but if it rains during the race, it will be difficult for the British driver to defend his sixth position:

"Starting from sixth tomorrow still gives us the chance to fight for important points. Today we set up the car to maximize performance in qualifying, so we’ll have to see what the weather is like tomorrow. If it rains, we might be slightly disadvantaged, but I much prefer starting from sixth rather than outside the top 10. Let’s see what happens on Sunday".

In the last Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc had explained quite worryingly that he felt he had lost his touch in qualifying over the past ten races, the touch that had earned him 26 pole positions in his six years with Ferrari. However, within twenty days, the Monegasque driver seemed to have rediscovered his magic, as he managed to qualify third at Spa-Francorchamps, ahead of Max Verstappen. In the past three weeks, a significant change was made to the SF-25: the rear suspension, reworked in design to expand the car's usable window. Charles Leclerc’s statements after Saturday’s session in Belgium seem to confirm the effectiveness of the work done by the technicians in Maranello.

"Since the start of the season, I’ve been struggling with the single-lap pace in qualifying, and that has always been one of my strengths. This weekend, with the update we put on the car, I have a setup that’s a bit less extreme compared to the other races, and this helped me better extract performance from the car. Up until now, it’s been hard to find the maximum, especially when we approached the limit, as it was very easy to lose time. Today, all the laps were really good, and I was happy with the balance. Thanks to the team in Maranello. I think we are closer than we expected, and in reality, the step forward is positive because it allows me to extract more. At Silverstone, I was putting the car in really extreme positions; this weekend, the setup makes me feel better and in the right window. We’ll see tomorrow".

Rain is forecast at Spa, but Charles Leclerc is not concerned because the Ferrari SF-25 has changed compared to the one that struggled at Silverstone:

"I don’t think rain is currently a strength of our car, but every weekend is different, and you can learn from the past. Only after the first few laps will I know what our ambitions might be. For sure, I’m starting with the goal of looking forward, not looking in the mirrors. Thanks to the package brought here to Belgium, we have a less extreme setup, and I hope having a more balanced car can help us in more delicate conditions like a wet race".

Even McLaren team principal Andrea Stella agrees:

"Based on the data from qualifying, I wouldn’t be surprised if Leclerc was leading the race at the end of the first lap. What I’ll remind my drivers is that the first lap is just the first of 44, and with the car we have, what will count tomorrow is limiting the risks on that first lap. Also, if it rains, Eau Rouge won’t be taken flat-out, and that could be another factor to consider in the usual dynamic where those who can slipstream from La Source to the Les Combes braking zone have an advantage".

But while Charles Leclerc has managed to maximize the potential of the SF-25, on the other hand, Lewis Hamilton is paying a high price for exceeding track limits at Eau Rouge, which led to his elimination in Q1. Scuderia Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur comments on the second disappointing qualifying in 24 hours:

"I believe Hamilton is just lacking a bit of confidence at the moment. It wasn’t easy to approach this weekend because there’s no time to properly prepare and get familiar with the car. In just one practice session, we couldn’t simulate the long run, and in Sprint Qualifying, you’re forced to use medium tires in the first two sessions, so you don’t get to gradually improve with the same compound. Hamilton just needs to stay calm and put everything together. I don’t think he was struggling with the car; the pace was there, as shown by all his sector times, both yesterday before the spin at Bus Stop and today".

If it rains during the race, Vasseur sees it as a good opportunity to test the updated SF-25 in wet conditions:

"I don’t know if rain would be better or worse for us, but if it does rain, it would still be positive to gain experience with this car in all conditions".

The Ferrari team principal adds that, in his view, it’s not correct to pass definitive judgment on the potential of the SF-25 because the nature of the updates brought to Belgium is different from the updates other teams have introduced:

"Red Bull brought almost half a new car here, we made progress with our package, but so did the others. Also, we need a bit more time to extract the full potential from our package, because it’s not an aerodynamic update. We’ll see from Budapest onwards what direction we will take".

The Belgian Grand Prix is turning into a nightmare for Lewis Hamilton, who has never been competitive and has made mistakes that would be unexpected from a World Champion. Nonetheless, the British driver takes responsibility for the disappointing performance in qualifying:

"In the end, it was another mistake on my part; I ran wide. We could already see this morning that it’s very difficult to overtake here, so I think entering the points, I wouldn’t say it’s impossible, but it will be difficult".

Hamilton, as he has done earlier this year, is questioning himself again:

"I need to look inside myself, it’s simply unacceptable to be eliminated in both Q1 sessions. That was a really, really poor performance from me".

When asked about a possible extreme move like starting from the pit lane to change something on the car, the British driver replies:

"I don’t think there’s much to be done, so I’ll simply try to start from where I am and see where I can end up".

With Saturday’s Sprint being held in sunshine and optimal conditions, drivers and teams are thrown a huge curveball on Sunday afternoon as heavy rain hits the Spa-Francorchamps Circuit less than 30 minutes before the start of the scheduled 44-lap race. Unsurprisingly, the race starts behind the Safety Car, with polesitter Norris leading the field away from McLaren teammate Piastri, all drivers on the intermediate Pirelli tyre and searching for grip amongst the standing water. Several drivers start from the pit lane after power unit and set-up changes, including Sainz, Hamilton, Antonelli, and Alonso, with the quartet joining the back of the Safety Car queue as the formation lap gets underway. But with less than a lap completed, Race Control takes the decision to red-flag proceedings due to the large amounts of spray, with Norris reporting,

"I can’t see a lot behind the Safety Car".

As all drivers enter the pit lane. After nearly an 80-minute delay and suspension of the starting procedure following another heavy spell of rain, the field takes to the track again behind the Safety Car under bright skies, and the race officially gets underway. After four laps behind the Safety Car and with standing water at a minimum, racing finally commences on Lap 5, with Norris leading Piastri, Leclerc, and Verstappen into La Source at the rolling start. Up Eau Rouge, Piastri is nailed to the back of his teammate and comfortably moves ahead along the Kemmel Straight, completing the move well before the braking zone into Les Combes. The Australian pulls a margin of one second by the end of the lap, while further behind, Russell moves up to fifth at the expense of Albon, and Stroll drops behind both Sainz and Hamilton, down to 18th. As the two McLarens begin to clear out at the head of the field, Verstappen starts to mount pressure on Leclerc for P3, while the second Ferrari of Hamilton passes Sainz for 16th into the final chicane on Lap 7, as Antonelli runs deep behind. Hamilton’s charge continues, passing Colapinto around the outside into Les Combes and Hulkenberg at the final chicane on Lap 8, with Gasly his next victim on the following tour into Stavelot. By Lap 10, Piastri’s margin to Norris sits at 1.7s, the race leader reporting that slick tyres will be needed soon, with Leclerc 5.5s adrift in his battle with Verstappen, as the Ferrari driver struggles for rear grip. 

But having added downforce compared with the Sprint, Verstappen struggles to gain a run on Leclerc along the Kemmel Straight despite much better exits from La Source. Hamilton becomes the first driver to take the plunge for slick tyres, pitting at the end of Lap 11 from P13, and the Briton is joined by Gasly, Hulkenberg, and Alonso as all drivers switch to the medium compound. The following lap, Piastri pits from the lead for the medium tyre as Norris continues on another lap, but behind, the majority of drivers also stop, with only Tsunoda, Hadjar, and Ocon staying out on their used intermediates. Ocon soon becomes a roadblock for Leclerc, Verstappen, and Russell, the trio passing the Haas driver at high speed through Blanchimont as Norris pits at the end of the lap. The decision is made to switch to the hard tyre in the hope of running to the end of the race, but the Briton loses time with a small problem fitting the front-left tyre and finds himself 9.1s adrift of Piastri once up to speed. Behind, Leclerc still heads Verstappen, Russell, and Albon, with Hamilton now up to P7, as less than four seconds cover the group, with Lawson, Hulkenberg, and Bortoleto completing the top 10. The two Kick Saubers swap positions on Lap 20 at the end of the Kemmel Straight, while behind, Antonelli demotes Colapinto for P15 as Hadjar makes a second stop on Lap 21, swapping the medium tyre for hards. At the halfway point, Piastri leads Norris by 8.1s but is unsure whether he can manage his medium tyres without stopping again, claiming over the radio:

"I think it will be tough to get to the end".

Outside the top 10, Gasly is several seconds away from the points but has a DRS train behind him in P11, consisting of Tsunoda, Bearman, Alonso, and Antonelli. Norris loses a further second in his pursuit of Piastri, running wide at Pouhon on Lap 26, while Antonelli moves ahead of Alonso for P14 into Les Combes the next lap, as Sainz in P19 receives a black-and-white flag for track limits at Eau Rouge.

Sainz has recently pitted for a set of hard tyres along with Colapinto, as the pair join Hadjar at the back of the field as the only drivers to have made two pit stops. Alonso is the next to stop at the end of Lap 29, with drivers struggling to manage the medium tyres on an almost completely dry circuit, with Antonelli and Hulkenberg also feeling the need to come into the pits over the following laps. Hulkenberg, who has pitted from P10, moves up to 14th at the expense of Ocon along the Kemmel Straight and quickly closes a gap of more than six seconds to Stroll in front. Antonelli is next to challenge Ocon after sweeping around the outside at Les Combes, but the Frenchman is able to move back ahead through the following bend as Alonso comes to challenge the pair behind. Out front, the gap between the leading pair begins to close rapidly as Norris reduces the gap to just 5.5s at the start of Lap 38, and it comes down to 3.8s on Lap 41, with Piastri told to potentially expect drops of rain at La Source over the remaining laps. A deep moment into La Source on the penultimate lap all but ends Norris’ charge, having brought the gap down to 3.1s, eventually finishing 3.4s behind Piastri, who extends his Drivers’ Championship lead to 16 points. Leclerc is 20s adrift in third but holds off Verstappen, with Russell a lonely fifth from Albon and Hamilton, the seven-time World Champion having moved up 11 places. Lawson, Bortoleto, and Gasly complete the top ten. After being beaten by Lando Norris in the last two races, in Austria and Great Britain, Oscar Piastri returns to joy in Belgium, giving himself a splendid victory on a circuit that is universally considered one of the most significant, iconic, and difficult on the entire calendar. The Australian driver won the family derby with Norris at the start, even though the Race Direction's decision to opt for a rolling start seemed to work against him. Piastri himself, interviewed after the race, admits that without a standing start, he feared his chances of overtaking Lando would have disappeared.

"I was a bit disappointed with the rolling start because I thought it would take away all my chances, but when I found myself so close to Eau Rouge, I knew I would slow down a little less than Lando. I’m proud of my first lap. I knew that lap was my best chance to win the race. I got a good exit from turn 1, lifted off the throttle as little as possible, and it went well. From there on, we had everything under control".

After the track dried up, Piastri also resisted Norris’s attempt to recover, as the latter had chosen to fit Hard tires against Piastri’s Mediums. However, the decision did not cause any controversy within the team.

"I had the same plan as Norris if I had been second: I knew he would probably make that decision, but for me, the Mediums were the most sensible choice".

Lando Norris finishes the Belgian Grand Prix and prepares for the upcoming race in Hungary, with a 16-point deficit in the standings. The British driver lost one point to his teammate after the Sprint Race and another seven at the end of the Grand Prix, which was won by the Australian driver. The turning point of the race came at the moment of the rolling start when Norris had to let Piastri pass at the end of the Kemmel straight. Over the radio, Lando Norris also complained about an issue with the battery in his MCL39, but after the race, when speaking with journalists, he said that this difficulty was not decisive in the outcome of the Grand Prix:

"No, it was the slipstream that made the difference, we saw that on Saturday. The slipstream is crucial, especially when it’s wet and especially when you’re the first car and you have to push first in a wet section. That means the slipstream effect in these wet conditions is even stronger than usual. I didn’t do well in Turn 1, so I need to go over some things. I had two wheel spins on exit, and maybe that could’ve helped me get out of trouble. But I think it would have just given Oscar an even bigger slipstream to pass me. As we saw on Saturday, it’s difficult to lead from the start. I’m not saying I did the best job possible, but it really seemed like there was a headwind on that straight this weekend, and it was almost impossible to hold position. There’s not much to complain about. The rest was a good race. I gave it a try. I pushed hard, but not hard enough".

Norris also made some avoidable mistakes in the second half of the race when, on hard tires, he was chasing Piastri, who was on medium tires:

"I locked up a couple of times at Turn 1, went off-track at Pouhon, and hit a big bump. There I lost a couple of seconds. At the same time, Oscar also made some mistakes. The conditions were just tough. I’m sure everyone made mistakes like that. But that’s racing, that’s life. In a way, I’m not unhappy. I need to understand what more I could’ve done today. I feel like I still did a good job, I felt fast, I felt in control, but the first lap let me down".

Meanwhile, McLaren boss Zak Brown commented on another triumphant Sunday:

"I really wanted to win at Spa, it’s a great classic. A tattoo for the world title? No, they hurt, I’ve already had a lot, better a poster. Both Piastri and Norris had some battery issues at the start, it didn’t seem to be working properly, but then everything went well. Today, once again, the driver starting second came out on top. It seems like here it works like in NASCAR, where you want to have the slipstream. Piastri and Norris will give us plenty of thrills, they’re free to race as long as they stay within track limits. In Austria, they scared us a bit, but they have a lot of respect for each other, and I’m sure we’re in for a lot of fun".

Charles Leclerc did not make the slightest mistake, managing to finish the race in third place, ahead of a relentless Max Verstappen, who - due to the high-downforce rear wing - was never able to attempt an overtaking move. The Dutch driver was always behind the Monegasque driver, with a gap fluctuating between 0.5s and 2s throughout the race. Charles Leclerc can leave Spa satisfied with the updates brought to the SF-25, which allowed him to regain the lost feeling in qualifying and helped him secure his fifth podium of the season. However, the McLarens are in a different league, and Leclerc is keen to underline this:

"Max stayed behind for the entire race with a gap of 2s, so it's never easy. I knew the first lap would be the hardest because we didn’t have the same downforce as the McLaren or Max, but fortunately, the track dried fairly quickly, and the pace was good. I'm happy that we managed to hold on to third place because the pressure in those conditions is high, and at one point, I told Bryan to leave me alone. Obviously, he was trying to give me as much information as possible; sometimes it's helpful, sometimes not. Honestly, on paper, we thought we'd finish fourth because the two McLarens were too fast, and Max's Red Bull had a better pace than ours both in Sprint qualifying and the Sprint itself. In the end, we did something really good and made the right choices. I think it's a weekend where we have no regrets, so I'm happy. We need to be cautious with positivity and not create false expectations. I think we're on the right track, but I also think the road is still long to catch McLaren and Max's Red Bull. Verstappen didn’t have clean air today, and we did everything perfectly, managing to keep him behind, but very often they have a better pace than us. Let's keep working like this; we're doing a good job”.

Making up eleven positions is not enough. Not when you're Lewis Hamilton driving a Ferrari. The World Champion knows this, and even at the end of the race, he apologizes for a weekend not up to his ability. Lewis Hamilton put on a show in the early laps, overtaking slower cars and with a setup particularly suited to wet conditions. As the track dried, Hamilton gained positions, only to face faster competitors and finish the race behind Alex Albon. This time, the British driver wasn’t able to repeat his Sprint Race feat and secured a disappointing seventh place.

"These are definitely conditions I’ve grown up in, which have given me many opportunities, and I've learned to love them. I want to keep apologizing to the fans for this weekend. There were many factors that led to these mistakes, especially Friday's, while Saturday’s was entirely my fault. I’ll keep pushing; we brought some points home, extending our lead over Mercedes, which is positive".

To better understand the new rear suspension’s work, a less chaotic weekend would have helped:

"Now I understand the changes we made better. We’ll go back to the factory; I'm really grateful for all the hard work they’ve done. I really want to thank everyone; so many people have worked really hard and are still pushing".

A podium for Charles Leclerc and a recovery up to seventh place for Lewis Hamilton: by the end of the Belgian Grand Prix, Ferrari can consider themselves satisfied. Not surprisingly, team principal Frederic Vasseur shares this sentiment after the race:

"We scored good points with both cars; on Friday evening, we were behind Red Bull, but yesterday we were ahead, confirming that today. I still believe that a lower-downforce setup would have allowed us to go faster, as Leclerc showed, but we loaded Hamilton’s car to recover as quickly as possible at the start. Then behind Albon, we could’ve run the 24 Hours of Spa, but we wouldn’t have been able to overtake. The 4:20 PM start? Half the grid wanted one thing, and the other half wanted something else, it’s always like that. I’ll never blame Race Control when they choose to be cautious. Every time there’s a problem, we blame them, so it’s normal to be cautious, especially here, where bad accidents happen easily. On the longest track on the calendar, we were three-tenths off, and the package helped us make progress. We need to refine it. Let’s see how it goes in Hungary, which should suit our car well".

At the end of the race, Max Verstappen expressed via radio that he didn’t like the Race Direction's decision to delay the Belgian GP’s start by an hour and twenty minutes. This decision, made for safety reasons due to poor visibility on track, was supported by some drivers, like Fernando Alonso. However, the World Champion distanced himself from the opinion of his Spanish colleague, openly criticizing Race Control’s actions.

"Was Race Control a bit conservative? I’d say quite a lot. They were too cautious. We should have started right away because it wasn’t raining. We could’ve followed the Safety Car for 3-4 laps, and then we would’ve been able to start. We had discussed it, and they told us they would be more cautious, but they went too far. Also, with this approach, you can't race in wet conditions anymore. We did a few laps on intermediates, and then we immediately switched to slicks. It shouldn’t have been like that. Obviously, it also surprised us with the setup we chose".

This last comment highlights how Verstappen’s view isn't entirely disinterested. The Dutch driver, together with his team, had opted for a wet setup, which didn’t work particularly well once the track dried. It's no coincidence that, over the radio, his engineer for this GP, Simon Rennie, admitted that - in hindsight - it would have made more sense to go for a less aerodynamically loaded rear wing.

"If we had known the conditions would be like this and we wouldn’t drive much in the wet, we would’ve changed our rear wing choice".

A message that can also be seen as a veiled criticism of Race Control’s actions.

"Yes, it wasn’t ideal".

Verstappen commented briefly, stating that, in hindsight, he would have preferred a setup more similar to the one used in the victorious Sprint Race. Switching topics, while the Sprint Race turned out to be a complete disaster for the Mercedes team, with both drivers out of the points zone, the Belgian Grand Prix ended with a bit of satisfaction, at least for George Russell. Starting from sixth on the grid behind Alexander Albon, the British driver finished the race in fifth place, just ahead of the Williams driver. However, this result didn’t feel rewarding for Russell:

"Fifth place was the maximum we could achieve. Our pace wasn’t strong compared to our usual rivals, and this left us in a lonely race for fifth place. It’s frustrating to be in that position, but that was the reality of our weekend. It was a disappointing weekend for us, so we need to quickly analyze what happened here in Spa. We have some ideas on where we lost ground compared to our rivals in the recent races. We still have one more Grand Prix before the summer break to fix things, and that will be our goal in Budapest next weekend".

While Russell finished the Belgian GP in the points, his teammate, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, was not as fortunate. Eliminated both in SQ1 on Friday and in Q1 on Saturday, the Italian driver appeared to struggle throughout the weekend, as shown by his race ending:

"We decided to change the setup in anticipation of a wet race, and during those early laps, it was beneficial. The car was performing well, and I managed to make some overtakes and gain positions. Unfortunately, the track dried out quickly, and for the rest of the race, we lost ground on the straights compared to some of the cars we were racing against. Although we managed to stay close to them, we couldn’t make any overtakes. This meant we opted for a different strategy with a two-stop plan, but the result was similar, as we were stuck behind Esteban Ocon's Haas. It was a tough weekend here in Spa, but we have the opportunity to bounce back and come back stronger in Budapest. We want to head into the summer break with some momentum, and both the team and I are focused on that".