Formula One Preview: Belgian Grand Prix

Spa-Francorchamps’ Eau Rouge is one of the most iconic corners in motorsport | Credit: Formula One

Formula One heads to the Ardennes for a high-speed Spa weekend.

Circuit guide

We’re certainly being spoiled by the F1 schedule at the moment, with the 11 teams bouncing about from one iconic track to another.

From Silverstone we head to Spa-Francorchamps, the longest and one of the most fearsome tracks of the season.

Regrettably for one of F1’s favourite sons, this marks the start of a biennial rotation with the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix. Only one of Spa and Catalunya to feature on the calendar from next year.

Even at seven kilometres long, the current circuit layout is only half the length of the original track used until 1978.

The picturesque Spa-Francorchamps circuit weaves through the Ardennes forest | Credit: Formula One

The opening hairpin at La Source remains, and has provided plenty of opening lap spills in recent years. Romain Grosjean received a race ban for causing a pile-up at the start in 2012, while Nico Hülkenberg caused a huge accident involving Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc six years later.

Next comes the iconic Eau-Rouge-Raidillon complex, one of the most special sequences of corners anywhere in the racing world. Blasting over the crest of the hill, drivers then face a one-kilometre dash down the Kemmel Straight for the best overtaking opportunity on the circuit at Les Combes.

The middle sector takes in Malmedy, Rivage, and the “Corner with No Name”, which has almost become a name in itself.

Next is the physics-defying Pouhon, a double-apex downhill left-hander which the drivers in the past have attacked at just under 300 kilometres per hour. Pouhon is, however, one of several corners which may have to be taken slightly more cautiously in this new battery recharge era.

The sweepers of Les Fagnes and the double-left hander of Stavelot and Curve Paul Frère - some 102 metres lower than the circuit’s highest point at Malmedy - precede the blast up through Blanchimont, the track’s fastest corner at around 310 kph.

The slowest corner follows shortly after, with a hard stamp on the brakes bringing the cars down to around 75kph for the Bus Stop chicane.

A quick blast to the line and another 43 laps follow.

Weather forecast

Rain is on the radar across Belgium this weekend, with patches of showers likely to affect the racing action.

Friday’s forecast is for highs of 24 degrees Celsius and a 50-60% chance of rain throughout the late morning and afternoon.

There is a near 70% probability of a wet qualifying session on Saturday, while there is a 40% chance of showers during Sunday’s race.

In any event, let’s hope to avoid a repeat of the farce of 2021, which ran for just a single lap before Max Verstappen was declared the race winner due to heavy rain.

The 2021 Belgian Grand Prix lasted just three minutes and 27 seconds | Credit: Formula One

Major talking points

Verstappen’s future in doubt: The annual saga over Max Verstappen’s future may well be heading in a different direction this year, with a second high-speed accident in two races causing the Dutchman to describe his Red Bull car as “super-dangerous”.

The Dutchman suffered near identical accidents in Qualifying in Austria and on Lap 46 of the British Grand Prix, after his rear-wing failed to close quickly enough and left him light on downforce heading into near flat-out corners.

Verstappen described his retirement at Silverstone as “painful” and “frustrating” | Credit: Formula One

Representatives of Verstappen have been in conversation with McLaren in recent weeks, while Toto Wolff and Mercedes have been long-time suitors. As the summer break approaches, so surely does the Dutchman’s decision on his future.

New regs in wet weather: Despite rain during the pre-season shakedown in Barcelona and multiple wet-weather tyre tests, we are yet to see a wet competitive session with this new generation of cars.

However, the forecast for this weekend suggests that may be about to change, with showers forecast over Spa during every on-track session.

Aside from the obvious added drama that rain tends to generate, it will be intriguing to observe the quality of wet racing in these new cars.

Safety car ending controversy: The British Grand Prix a fortnight ago was a thoroughly entertaining spectacle, right up until it wasn’t. The ending behind the safety car was the most controversial conclusion to a Grand Prix since Abu Dhabi 2021, and happened almost as a direct consequence.

On that most famous of occasions four-and-a-half years ago, race director Michael Masi sacrificed sporting integrity in favour of spectacle and lost his job as a result. Two weeks ago at Silverstone, the race director took the absolute opposite approach, to almost universal disdain.

The sport has yet to find a satisfactory middle ground, in which races featuring a late safety car may conclude in an entertaining yet fair way. It remains to be seen what will happen next time such an event occurs.

A three-way title battle? Even when Lewis Hamilton went second in the championship following the Monaco Grand Prix, at 66 points down on Kimi Antonelli he hardly seemed close enough to be in a title fight.

Three races and two point-less races for Antonelli later, however, the Ferrari driver may have slipped to third in the standings behind George Russell, but is now just 32 points behind the championship leader.

The Mercedes may still - just about - be the fastest car, but as long as the Silver Arrows continue to suffer reliability issues, the door is still open for Hamilton.

Both Ferrari drivers have now won a race this season following Leclerc’s Silverstone victory | Credit: Formula One

A new winner in 2026? We have been treated to four different winners in the last four races, with Antonelli in Monaco, Hamilton in Barcelona, Russell in Austria and Leclerc at Silverstone.

It is likely that the winner at Spa will be driving a Mercedes or Ferrari, but perhaps Max Verstappen — who won the Belgian Grand Prix three times between 2021 and 2023 — could utilise his Red Bull-Ford engine to power his way to victory.

That power unit was recently judged by the FIA to be the most powerful on the grid, and may lend the Dutchman an advantage on the run from La Source to Les Combes, which is one of the longest full-throttle sections on the calendar at over 20 seconds.

Possible rain showers across Saturday and Sunday could cause an upset too.

Past Belgian Grands Prix

The first Belgian Grand Prix was held at Spa-Francorchamps in 1925, with Antonio Ascari taking the chequered flag for Alfa Romeo. The race returned for a second time in 1930 and was held intermittently for the following 20 years.

Juan Manuel Fangio enjoyed his first of three wins at Spa when the circuit was included on the inaugural Formula One World Championship calendar in 1950, where it has largely remained since.

Safety concerns at Spa led to the Belgian Grand Prix being cancelled in 1969 and 1971, after which Zolder and Nivelles shared hosting duties for the next decade.

Spa returned to the calendar in 1985 with Ayrton Senna taking victory and, bar 2003 and 2006, has hosted a Grand Prix every year since.

Michael Schumacher is the most successful driver in the Ardennes with six victories, while Senna and Lewis Hamilton have won five times each. 

George Russell took the chequered flag in 2024, but Lewis Hamilton was awarded victory | Credit: Formula One

If Max Verstappen were to win this weekend, he would draw level with Jim Clark and Kimi Räikkönen on four wins apiece.

Hamilton claimed his final victory for Mercedes in Belgium two years ago, crossing the line second before inheriting the win following teammate George Russell’s disqualification.

Oscar Piastri led home a McLaren 1-2 last year, surviving a late attack from Lando Norris.

Oscar Piastri won at Spa 12 months ago | Credit: Formula One

Drivers to Watch

Max Verstappen: The four-time world champion is a three-time winner at Spa and hasn’t finished outside the top four since 2019. After huge shunts in the last two race weekends and huge question marks over his future, can Verstappen and Red Bull get it together for the first time in 2026?

Verstappen is always well supported in Belgium, the country of his birth | Credit: Formula One

Charles Leclerc: The Monégasque driver claimed the first victory of his career at Spa in 2019 and has finished third in the last three Belgian Grands Prix. Fresh off the back of his first win in almost two years at Silverstone, a couple more strong results before the summer break could yet turn this season into a four-way title fight.

Charles Leclerc dedicated his maiden victory to the late Anthoine Hubert | Credit: Formula One

Liam Lawson: 2026 has been a real coming-of-age year for the Kiwi, who has now scored points in the last five Grands Prix, and in the last six races of any format including the Silverstone sprint. 

Not since his 2022 Formula 2 campaign with Carlin has Lawson enjoyed a longer points-scoring streak. That run included success at Spa, as he won the sprint race and finished third in the feature race. He also finished eighth in his first Grand Prix here 12 months ago. Could we see the Kiwi continuing his streak here in Spa?

Session Times (BST)

Practice 1: Fri 12:30-13:30

Practice 2: Fri 16:00-17:00

Practice: Sat 11:30-12:30

Qualifying: Sat 15:00-16:00

Race: Sun 14:00