1 week ago
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ESPN
Jul 23, 2025, 07:27 AM ET
It's been a small portion since the past expansive prix, truthful let's concisely recap...
At the commencement of July, Lando Norris won his location race, the British Grand Prix, arsenic Nico Hülkenberg took his first Formula 1 podium successful a bedewed contention astatine Silverstone.
The contention marked the halfway constituent successful the season, wherever Oscar Piastri's title pb implicit Norris has been importantly reduced, but McLaren inactive clasp a beardown clasp of some championships.
On to circular 13 astatine Spa -- a sprint play and a historical circuit enjoyed by fans and drivers alike.
Weather forecast - rain
Friday is acceptable for airy showers and highs of 20°C (68°F), with Saturday being akin temperatures and mostly cloudy each day.
Sunday is forecast for much showers crossed the time and akin temperatures successful the precocious teens.
Jump to: Circuit past & stats | 2024 race | race predictions | how to watch | championship standings
Latest news
Red Bull filled the interruption with the daze announcement that squad main Christian Horner had been sacked. Was his dismissal a gamble to support Max Verstappen (who is being courted by Mercedes)? Find retired successful our analysis of the squad absorption reshuffle.
Senior figures astatine Red Bull promoted Racing Bulls squad principal, Laurent Mekies, to pb the team, and nary uncertainty helium volition beryllium a fashionable antheral with reporters this weekend, arsenic journalists question to clarify the concern astatine Red Bull.
Still connected the taxable of Red Bull, Carlos Sainz has said helium inactive does not recognize wherefore Red Bull did not motion him arsenic Max Verstappen's teammate for this season.
For much Red Bull investigation and a preview of the Belgian Grand Prix, perceive to the latest occurrence of ESPN's F1 podcast Unlapped with Nate Saunders and Laurence Edmondson.
Circuit stats and history
Spa-Francorchamps remains 1 of the astir iconic F1 circuits and a favourite of fans and drivers alike. It's 1 of 7 circuits that was portion of F1's inaugural play successful 1950, and lone 2 years person been missed since then.
The 1957 variation was cancelled owed to substance rationining and fiscal occupation related to the Suez Crisis, and the 1969 contention was cancelled implicit information concerns raised by Jackie Stewart.
The archetypal 1921 circuit was 14.9km agelong and built utilizing nationalist roads. The pursuing year, a chicane was installed to dilatory the cars down, but it would beryllium the last twelvemonth of 'old Spa' arsenic F1 moved to Zolder and Nivelles for the adjacent 10 years.
Redevelopments astatine Spa took spot successful 1979 and saw the way shortened to 7km, which inactive makes it the longest circuit connected the F1 calendar.
Spa shares a akin backdrop to the Austrian Grand Prix with forests and hills of the Ardennes region. The circuit, which sweeps done the forest, has everything you could want: elevation changes, overtaking opportunities and highly unpredictable weather.
It features the celebrated duo of Eau Rouge and Raidillon, for a agelong clip renowned arsenic 1 of the toughest (and steepest) corners successful F1.
Belgian Grand Prix
First F1 race: 1950
Laps: 44 laps of the 7km circuit. Total contention region 308km
Lap record: 1:44.701, Sergio Pérez (2024)
Most wins: Michael Schumacher with six (1992, 1995-1997, 2001-2002). Other winners from the existent grid:
Lewis Hamilton (2010, 22017, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2024)
Charles Leclerc (2019)
Verstappen (2021-2023)
Most poles: Hamilton with six (2008, 2013, 2015, 2017-2018, 2020). Other rod sitters from the existent grid:
Leclerc (2019, 2023, 2024)
Verstappen (2021)
Sainz (2022)
What makes it special: The sweeping, high-speed rollercoaster done the Ardennes wood is regarded arsenic 1 of F1's astir iconic venues. Legendary corners similar Eau Rouge and Blanchimont and the accidental of wholly unpredictable upwind adhd to the play of this circuit.
What the drivers accidental astir it: "Spa is astir apt the champion circuit successful the world, and each thigh you bash present is magic." -- Fernando Alonso
Where to ticker from: Eau Rouge and Raidillon. One of the astir celebrated sections successful motorsport, wherever cars blast uphill astatine afloat throttle. The grandstands present springiness an unthinkable presumption of the elevation alteration and committedness required to instrumentality it level out.
Fun facts astir Spa:
Verstappen was calved successful Belgium, which loosely makes Spa-Francorchamps his location contention arsenic good arsenic Zandvoort
Discounting Verstappen, nary Belgian operator has won the Belgian Grand Prix
The archetypal autobus halt chicane astatine the extremity of the lap, really derived from a autobus halt arsenic the 1921 circuit plan utilised nationalist roads
Eau Rouge didn't diagnostic connected the archetypal circuit layout. Prior to F1, the sanction is synonymous with a stream successful Liege, with which had red oxide deposits
The 24 Hours of Spa started successful 1924, making it the oldest contention held astatine the circuit
Of 69 editions of the Belgian Grand Prix, 27 person been won from pole.
What happened past year?
It was a Mercedes one-two led by George Russell, but helium was aboriginal disqualified for an underweight car. His teammate Lewis Hamilton inherited the triumph -- his 2nd triumph of the season.
The contention was choky with the apical 3 separated by 1.1 seconds, but Mercedes' strategy and Hamilton's lunge connected rod sitter Charles Leclerc for the contention pb was the determination that enabled the victory.
Who volition win?
It's hard to stake against anyone different than a McLaren operator winning astatine the moment. Momentum has been with Norris lately, but Piastri has mislaid nary of his show and is our prime to crook the tide and instrumentality his archetypal triumph since Spain this weekend.
How the championships look
Piastri's pb successful the drivers' title has been reduced to 8 points up of teammate Norris. However, the McLaren brace are mode up of the remainder of the tract arsenic Verstappen is 61 points down Norris successful third.
McLaren pb the constructors' title with 460 points, 238 up of second-best Ferrari.
How to ticker the GP
For fans successful the U.S. only, ticker connected ESPN and ESPN+.
In the UK unrecorded broadcast sum is connected Sky Sports F1 and BBC Radio 5 Live.
For news, investigation and updates, follow the coverage with ESPN's F1 team Nate Saunders and Laurence Edmondson astatine Spa and connected societal media.
Session times beneath successful BST (British Summer Time). Local clip is Central European Summer Time (+1 hr from BST).
Friday
Free signifier one: 11:30-12:30 BST
Sprint qualifying: 15:30-16:14 BST
Saturday
Sprint race: 11:00-12:00 BST
Qualifying: 15:00-16:00 BST
Sunday
Race starts: 14:00 BST (live substance commentary build-up from 13:15 BST connected ESPN.co.uk).
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