Rain is announced for the twelfth Grand Prix of the F1 season on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Good news to relaunch a championship dominated by the McLaren.
Again the McLaren dominated a qualification session. The relative counter-performance of the Sprint race has been erased. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who outrageously dominate the 2025 Formula 1 season, gave the single to the center of the grid: in the first places of the Belgian Grand Prix. A world now separates the orange stable from the rest of the peloton. The heroic resistance of Max Verstappen – author of two victories this season and a good performance this Sprint Saturday – gave a long time. The Ferrari of Charles Leclerc – never threatened, never threatening – and Lewis Hamilton – doubly eliminated in the first part of qualification – are almost out of the game. The Mercedes no longer exist. At Spa Francorchamps, Sunday afternoon, should we despair? Not necessarily.
In Antiquity, the Romans deposited Lapis Mannalis, manial stones, in the temple of Mars to summon the rain. The gods of F1 would be well inspired to do the same this Sunday by watering the Walloon circuit of a beautiful wavy to rebut the cards. The rain and spa have always been able to create beautiful moments of sport. Drags level, even erase, performance and only bring out balancing artists. More than in Monaco, the GP of Belgium offered epic battles and championships that was believed to be won in advance were lost. In 1998, Michael Schumacher, a solid leader of the race, struck David Coulthard full whip and finished the race on three wheels. Mika Häkkinen won the title at the end of the season. This year, the showers have offered beautiful races. The last, in Silverstone, was rich in twists and turns.
Norris and Piastri, who start in the lead, could compete in the rain – 9 points separate them – and go beyond the limits. The struggle for the title is highly flammable, the water could, against all odds, stir up tensions. A Max Verstappen, who prepared his car for the rain, could largely enjoy it and why not restart the championship. After the SPA GP, there will remain 11 Grands Prix to compete and a rain of points to collect.
