After a break since the last Grand Prix, it’s time to review the highlights of the Formula 1 season.
Contents
Season Summary
At the beginning of July, Lando Norris took the victory at the British Grand Prix, his home race. Nico Hülkenberg achieved his first podium in Formula 1 in a race marked by rain at Silverstone. This race represented the midpoint of the season, where Oscar Piastri’s lead over Norris in the championship has been significantly reduced, but McLaren still maintains a strong position in both championships. The championship heads to the thirteenth round in Spa, a sprint weekend at a historic circuit loved by fans and drivers.Weather Forecast
On Friday, light rain is expected with maximum temperatures of 20°C. Saturday is expected to have similar weather with similar temperatures and cloudy throughout the day. On Sunday, more rain is forecast during the day and similar temperatures in the nineteen degrees.
Breaking News
Red Bull surprised by announcing the dismissal of team principal Christian Horner. Was Horner’s firing a strategy to keep Max Verstappen? Find out in our analysis of the team’s management restructuring.Red Bull’s high-ranking officials promoted Laurent Mekies, Racing Bulls team director, to lead the team. Mekies will undoubtedly be a focus of attention for journalists this weekend, as they seek to clarify the situation at Red Bull.
Regarding Red Bull, Carlos Sainz has expressed that he still doesn’t understand why Red Bull didn’t sign him as Max Verstappen’s teammate for this season.
Circuit Statistics and History
The Spa-Francorchamps circuit remains one of the most iconic in F1, a favorite of both fans and drivers. It was one of the seven circuits that were part of the inaugural F1 season in 1950, and only two editions have been missed since then. The 1957 edition was canceled due to fuel rationing and financial problems related to the Suez crisis, and the 1969 race was canceled due to safety concerns raised by Jackie Stewart. The original 1921 circuit was 14.9 km long and was built using public roads. The following year, a chicane was installed to reduce the speed of the cars, but it would be the last year of the ‘old Spa’, as F1 moved to Zolder and Nivelles for the next 10 years. The renovations at Spa took place in 1979 and saw the reduction of the track to 7 km, which still makes it the longest circuit on the F1 calendar. Spa shares a similar backdrop to the Austrian Grand Prix, with the forests and hills of the Ardennes region. The circuit, which winds through the forest, has everything you could want: elevation changes, overtaking opportunities, and highly unpredictable weather. It features the famous Eau Rouge and Raidillon duo, long recognized as one of the most difficult (and steep) corners in F1.Belgian Grand Prix
- First F1 race: 1950
- Laps: 44 laps of the 7 km circuit. Total race distance: 308 km
- Lap record: 1:44.701, Sergio Pérez (2024)
- Lewis Hamilton (2010, 2017, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2024)
- Charles Leclerc (2019)
- Verstappen (2021-2023)
- Leclerc (2019, 2023, 2024)
- Verstappen (2021)
- Sainz (2022)
Fun facts about Spa:
- Verstappen was born in Belgium to a Belgian mother, Sophie Kumpen, making Spa-Francorchamps his home race.
- No Belgian driver has won the Belgian Grand Prix.
- The original bus stop chicane at the end of the lap was actually derived from a bus stop, as the 1921 circuit design used public roads.
- Eau Rouge did not appear in the original circuit design. Before F1, the name is synonymous with a river in Liège, with deposits of red oxide.
- The 24 Hours of Spa began in 1924, making it the oldest race held at the circuit.
- Of the 69 editions of the Belgian Grand Prix, 27 have been won from pole position.
What happened last year?
Mercedes achieved a one-two led by George Russell, but was then disqualified for a car with insufficient weight. His teammate, Lewis Hamilton, inherited the victory, his second victory of the season. The race was close, with the top three separated by 1.1 seconds, but Mercedes’ strategy and Hamilton’s overtaking of pole-sitter Charles Leclerc to lead the race was the maneuver that allowed the victory.Who will win?
It’s hard to bet against a McLaren driver right now. The momentum has been with Norris lately, but Piastri hasn’t lost any of his performance and is our bet to turn the tables and get his first win since Spain this weekend.
This is how the championships are
The advantage of Piastri in the drivers’ championship has been reduced to eight points ahead of his teammate Norris. However, the McLaren pair is far ahead of the rest of the group, as Verstappen is 61 points behind Norris in third place. McLaren leads the constructors’ championship with 460 points, 238 ahead of Ferrari, which is in second place. For fans in the United States, watch on ESPN and ESPN+. In the UK, live broadcast coverage is on Sky Sports F1 and BBC Radio 5 Live. For news, analysis and updates, follow the coverage with ESPN F1’s Nate Saunders and Laurence Edmondson at Spa and on social media. Session times below in BST (British Summer Time). Local time is Central European Summer Time (+1 hour from BST).Friday
- Free practice 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 start: 14:00 BST (live text commentary from 13:15 BST on ESPN.co.uk).
