Formula 1 begins its second half of the season in Belgian Ardennes with the Belgian Grand Prix. This weekend, the Spa-Francorchamps circuit welcomes the thirteenth round of the championship, disputed in sprint format, with the rain as a potential guest. Here is everything you need to know so as not to miss anything.
McLaren under internal pressure
A consecutive winner in Austria and Great Britain, Lando Norris reduced his gap in the pilot championship, with Oscar Piastri, only at eight small points. The Australian still leads the championship with 234 points but sees his lead melt down after race.
This rise in Norris changes internal dynamics at McLaren. The Woking team must now manage a tight duel between its two pilots, a delicate situation when the two championships are leading. In terms of manufacturers, McLaren totaled 460 points, far ahead of its pursuers, but the individual battle promises sparks.
Red Bull Change era
Laurent Mekies made his heads at the head of Red Bull after the surprise of Christian Horner. The Frenchman, former Ferrari and Racing Bulls, inherits a loss of speed with Max Verstappen relegated 69 points to the leader Piastri.
This change of management occurs in a tense context with speculation on the future of Verstappen. The Dutchman, regularly associated with Mercedes, has not won for several races and sees his chances of fifth consecutive title move away.
Mekies knows the paddock well but discovers the pressure that accompanies the direction of Red Bull. SPA will be his baptism of fire in a role that Horner has occupied since 2005. Alan Permanent, 58, succeeds him at Racing Bulls, completing this unprecedented reshuffle in the Red Bull galaxy.
Ferrari is looking for the click
No victory in twelve races. Ferrari lives a white season despite his second place in the manufacturers’ championship with 222 points. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are struggling to compete with the superiority of McLaren, looking for the slightest flaw to reconnect with success.
However, for the Belgian Grand Prix, the Italian team should introduce a new rear suspension, tested in Mugello last week, to relaunch its ambitions and try to fill part of its delay on McLaren, which is ahead of 238 points.
Mercedes in expectation
The future of George Russell at Mercedes remains to be clarified. No agreement has been formalized for 2026, and speculations around a possible transfer from Max Verstappen blur the perspectives. Solid fourth in the championship with 147 points, it seems that the Briton still has to convince that he embodies the future of the team. His young teammate, Kimi Antonelli, neither does he have a contract for next year yet.
Mercedes occupies the third place of the manufacturers with 210 points, only twelve units of Ferrari. Each race weekend is therefore an exam for current pilots in the face of the team’s future ambitions.
Alpine in survival
The situation remains worrying for Alpine, still last in the classification of manufacturers with only 19 points. Behind the scenes, the pressure rises on the side of Renault, in the grip of its own difficulties, while rumors of buyout continue to fuel speculations.
Pierre Gasly offered a little air to Silverstone with his sixth place, but the French team will have to confirm to reassure his management. If the Rouennais has managed to glean points, his teammate, Franco Colapinto, has not yet released his counter. The young Argentinian finds himself under intense pressure, his lack of results weighing on the objectives of the team and fueling speculation about his future. Each marked point becomes precious in this fight for survival.
SPA, traditional justice of the peace
The Belgian circuit remains one of the most demanding on the calendar with its 7.004 kilometers. Raidillon of red water, Blanchimont and the Chicane of the Stop Bus constitute as many traps for the pilots.
The Capricieuse of the Ardennes hobby hovers over the weekend. Showers are announced, which can upset the established hierarchy. On a circuit where the gap naturally widens between good and bad cars, the rain is often the only way to mix the cards, as in Silverstone where Nico Hülkenberg resisted the Ferrari de Hamilton to win his very first podium in F1.
The Sprint format also limits the settings with a single free test session on Friday. The teams will therefore have to quickly find the right configuration on this route.
The sessions of the Belgian Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Canal+ (France), Tipik and Auvio (Belgium), and RTS (Switzerland). All times can be found below.