Oscar Piastri won a rain-affected Belgian Grand Prix to extend his lead at the top of the drivers’ standings to 16 points over McLaren teammate Lando Norris, who finished second after starting on pole.
The race began behind a safety car, having been delayed by more than an hour due to torrential rain at Spa-Francorchamps. And once the safety car diverted into the pits, Norris immediately found himself overtaken by his championship rival Piastri at turn one, who pushed ahead to clinch victory.
Charles Leclerc finished third, with his Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton seventh behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, Mercedes’ George Russell and the Williams of Alex Albon.
Follow live F1 coverage from the Belgian Grand Prix below.
F1 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES
- Oscar Piastri wins the Belgian Grand Prix; Norris 2nd; Leclerc 3rd
- Piastri extends his lead in the world championship to 16 points
- Lewis Hamilton battled back from a pit-lane start to finish 7th
- Hamilton agreed with Max Verstappen that the race should've restarted earlier
- The Belgian GP was earlier suspended due to heavy rain
Constructors' standings after Belgian Grand Prix
19:48 , Lawrence Ostlere1 McLaren 516pts,
2 Ferrari 248,
3 Mercedes GP 220,
4 Red Bull 192,
5 Williams 70,
6 Kick Sauber 43,
7 RB 41,
8 Aston Martin 36,
9 Haas F1 35,
10 Alpine 20
Drivers' standings after Belgian Grand Prix
19:24 , Lawrence Ostlere1 Oscar Piastri (Aus) McLaren 266pts,
2 Lando Norris (Gbr) McLaren 250,
3 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 185,
4 George Russell (Gbr) Mercedes GP 157,
5 Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari 139,
6 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Ferrari 109,
7 Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Ita) Mercedes GP 63,
8 Alexander Albon (Tha) Williams 54,
9 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Sauber 37,
10 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Haas F1 27,
11 Isack Hadjar (Fra) RB 22,
12 Pierre Gasly (Fra) Alpine 20,
13 Lance Stroll (Can) Aston Martin 20,
14 Liam Lawson (Nzl) RB 16,
15 Fernando Alonso (Spa) Aston Martin 16,
16 Carlos Sainz Jr. (Spa) Williams 16,
17 Yuki Tsunoda (Jpn) Red Bull 10,
18 Oliver Bearman (Gbr) Haas F1 8,
19 Gabriel Bortoleto (Bra) Sauber 6,
20 Franco Colapinto (Arg) Alpine 0,
21 Jack Doohan (Aus) Alpine 0
Piastri discusses race-winning moment
19:02 , Lawrence OstlerePiastri on his pass of Norris: "I knew I was going to try and lift (off the accelerator) a little bit less than Lando did and try to make it stick," he said, admitting his car felt "lively" as he took on the extra risk through the steeply uphill Eau Rouge corner.
Piastri had been disappointed to qualify second for the Grand Prix behind Norris, but it "turns out starting second at Spa is not so bad after all," he said.
McLaren explain Norris problems
18:45 , Lawrence OstlereMcLaren chief executive Zak Brown tells Sky Sports F1: “We had a small battery issue which we’ve got to look at, which I think didn’t help him.
“At the start there we had a battery issue. It only takes a little bit especially going up the hill."
He’s unsure whether Piastri had the same problem.
“Let me do some homework, but we had some battery issues there at the start.”
Belgian Grand Prix results
18:31 , Lawrence OstlereFull race classification:
RACE CLASSIFICATION
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 27, 2025
Another assured drive from Oscar Piastri as he extends his championship lead 👏#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/6k423dp94r
Race report: Norris suffers blow in title race
18:16 , Lawrence OstlereFurther back and Hamilton, armed with a new engine, passed both Carlos Sainz and Franco Colapinto in only a handful of corners before breezing clear of Nico Hulkenberg on lap eight for 14th. That became 13th a lap later following a fine move on Pierre Gasly.
On lap 11, Hamilton, who had described his Q1 elimination on Saturday as "unacceptable", was then the first of the major players to move to the slick tyres. A slingshot manouvere on Liam Lawson in the moments after he left the pits promoted him to a net seventh when it all shook out.
In came leader Piastri for dry tyres on lap 12, with Norris in on the next lap. Norris took on the hardest tyre compound - the only driver to do so - in the hope that Piastri's medium rubber would not make it to the end.
But in a blow to Norris, Piastri's rubber lasted all 44 laps as he claimed his sixth win of the season - two more than Norris - with the championship momentum swinging back to Australia.
Race report: Norris suffers blow in title race
18:01 , Lawrence OstlereWith visibility quickly improving, the safety car peeled in after four laps, and Norris bunched up the pack before attempting to put distance between himself and Piastri.
The advantage was in Norris's hands with Piastri having to navigate his team-mate's spray. But a scrappy exit at La Source from the Briton provided Piastri with the momentum and he soared past Norris and into the lead.
Piastri was 1.5 seconds quicker than Norris on the first racing lap leaving the Englishman - who arrived here hoping to claim a hat-trick of wins - facing a mammoth and improbable task.
Race report: Torrential rain almost wipes out race
17:42 , Lawrence OstlereAt one point, there were fears the race - initially pencilled in for a start time of 3pm locally - could be abandoned after it was suspended following the formation lap due to poor visibility. Verstappen described the decision as "silly" and "too cautious".
However, there have been 49 fatalities at this track in the last 100 years - most recently Dutch 18-year-old Dilano Van 't Hoff in 2023. And race director Rui Marques could be excused for taking that grizzly statistic into his consideration.
The drivers returned to their respective garages, and as the rain lashed down, memories were cast back to the event in 2021 - one which was abandoned after only two laps behind the safety car.
But the grey skies parted, the sun broke through, and at 16:20, pole-sitter Norris emerged on track, albeit behind the safety car, to huge cheers from the record-breaking crowd with 389,000 spectators over the last three days.
Race report: Norris suffers blow in title race
17:29 , Lawrence OstlereIt was brave and superb in equal measure from Piastri but one Norris will be disappointed after seeing the his rival's championship advantage increase from nine points to 16 ahead of the final round before the summer break in Hungary next weekend.
Norris crossed the line 3.4 seconds behind Piastri with Charles Leclerc third for Ferrari.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished fourth, one place clear of Mercedes driver George Russell with Alex Albon an impressive sixth in his Williams.
Lewis Hamilton started 18th and finished seventh following a string of fine moves in the early inclement conditions.
Race report: Norris suffers blow in title race
17:17 , Lawrence OstlereLando Norris' world championship bid was dealt a blow in Belgium after he allowed rival Oscar Piastri to breeze past him and win Sunday's rain-hit Grand Prix race.
The start of the 13th round in Spa-Francorchamps was delayed by one hour and 20 minutes due to heavy rain in the Ardennes.
But when it eventually got under way - following four precautionary laps behind the safety car - Norris was found wanting when a sloppy exit at the opening La Source corner provided Piastri with a race-winning opportunity too good to turn down.
Despite being in Norris' spray, Piastri held his nerve and kept his foot on the accelerator at 170mph up through Eau Rouge and into Raidillon before jinking to his left and sailing clear of his McLaren team-mate on the Kemmel Straight.
Hamilton wins driver of the day
17:08 , Lawrence OstlereLewis Hamilton is awarded driver of the day after carving through the field with. series of daring overtakes to pick up six points in seventh place, having started 16th.
Piastri extends championship lead
17:06 , Lawrence OstlerePiastri now leads Norris at the top of the drivers’ standings by 16 points.
Oscar enjoyed that one 💪#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/5qEhC3Pov8
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 27, 2025
Piastri's winning moment
16:59 , Lawrence Ostlere
Top 10
16:54 , Lawrence OstlereCharles Leclerc, Max Verstappen and George Russell round out the top five.
Here’s who takes away the points at Spa:
- Piastri
- Norris
- Leclerc
- Verstappen
- Russell
- Albon
- Hamilton
- Lawson
- Bortoleto
- Gasly
Oscar Piastri wins the Belgian Grand Prix!
16:46 , Lawrence OstlerePiastri overtook Norris on the very first lap after the safety car exited the track, and he’s not looked back, streaking away to win at Spa.
He punches the air as the chequered flag waves, with Lando Norris following closely behind.
Piastri closing in on victory (43/44)
16:43 , Lawrence OstlereOscar Piastri has grown his gap after another lock-up by Norris, and the Australian is set to extend his lead at the top of the drivers’ standings...
Norris slowed down by backmarkers (42/44)
16:40 , Lawrence OstlereNorris is still 3.7sec back, slowed up by backmarker Isack Hadjar, and that might be the death of his bid to win the race.
Norris running out of laps (40/44)
16:37 , Lawrence OstlereLando Norris is closing in on his teammate, reducing the gap to just 4 secs, but time is running out...
Top 10 (38/44)
16:34 , Lawrence OstlereHere’s how top 10 stand with six laps to go...
- Piastri
- Norris (+6.8s)
- Leclerc (+13.1s)
- Verstappen (+1.3s)
- Russell (+11.1s)
- Albon (+3.2s)
- Hamilton (+1.2s)
- Lawson (+10.6s)
- Bortoleto (+4.0s)
- Gasly (+14.3s)
Norris locks up (35/44)
16:29 , Lawrence OstlereNorris locks up going into turn one, sending as plume of smoke into the air, and that has cost him around half a second!
The gap to Piastri is back down to eight seconds.
Norris sets new fastest lap (32/44)
16:24 , Chris WilsonNorris has cut the gap to 7.7s now, adding in another fastest lap.
Piastri will still look to try and end the race with just one stop at present.
Elsewhere, Hamilton is closing in on Albon, with a gap of 0.6 seconds there now!
Leclerc and Verstappen are still battling, with the former still around two seconds ahead.
Battle for 11th heating up! (30/44)
16:19 , Chris WilsonThere’s quite a gap in midfield, with Hulkenberg over six second ahead of Gasly in 11th.
The battle for 11th, while offering no points, is very tight. Tsunoda is 0.7s behind Gasly, with Bearman 0.3 behind and Antonelii a further 0.5s behind that.
Norris loses time (27/44)
16:16 , Chris WilsonNorris has lost time on Piastri as he runs wide, and the Australian now holds a lead of just over nine seconds.
Antonelli has moved up into 14th, getting past Alonso, and Hamilton is beginning to gain on Alex Albon again, with 1.4s in that one.
Podium fight is close (26/44)
16:11 , Chris WilsonThere’s still an intriguing battle for third, mind you.
Verstappen is now around 2.5s behind Leclerc in the battle for third. He’s had to settle down a little and drop back slightly.
McLaren pulling away (24/44)
16:09 , Chris WilsonNorris has now opened up an eight-second lead on Leclerc.
Down in 10th, Bartoleto says that Hulkenberg needs to let him through, and the German does so. The Brazilian is into ninth.
Hadjar has fallen to 20th, with Ocon in 19th, Sainz above him and Colapinto in 17th. Stroll and Antonelli round out the bottom five.
Positions are the same at the top, with Piastri’s lead still around 8.5s.
Piastri doubting tyres too (22/44)
16:07 , Chris WilsonHalfway through now.
“What you’re doing looks good” says McLaren team radio to Piastri, but he is the next driver to express doubts on lasting the whole race, suggesting that the are degradation is already causing problems.
“I can feel a little bit of deg already, so I think it will be tough to get to the end,” he says.
Russell doubting the one-stop strategy (21/44)
16:03 , Chris WilsonLeclerc is over 6s behind Norris in the podium stakes.
Russell is the first to express doubts that his car can make it through the whole race with just the one pit stop. We’ll soon see if anyone else agrees.
McLaren in it for the long run (19/44)
16:02 , Chris Wilson“Both cars will try to get to the end. We think the other car might have to do some pace management to make it work. That’s our opportunity,” is the information from Norris’ team radio.
Norris now has the fastest lap, but he’s still 8.5s behind his teammate.
Elsewhere, Hamilton is being warned to maybe just start looking after his tyres.
Norris gaining time (17/44)
15:59 , Chris WilsonPiastri has a lead of around 8.7 seconds, though Norris had cut that down three-tenths.
For McLaren, both cars will try and make it to the end on these tyres according to team radio.
Max Verstappen’s battery is slowing him down, inhibiting his bid to take over Russell.
Hamilton going well (16/44)
15:55 , Chris WilsonHamilton is the fastest on track so far, and he’s gaining on Albon in sixth.
Russell is still chasing Verstappen but not within DRS range yet.
Tsunoda and Hadjar are among those to lose places from pitting late too, with that duo in 12th and 16th respectively.
Norris loses time on leader (15/44)
15:52 , Chris WilsonNorris has lost a few seconds on Piastri, and he’s now nine behind.
“No hurry here, just keep in on track” says Norris.
Norris pits and moves onto medium (14/44)
15:51 , Chris WilsonNorris has pitted and switched to the hard tyres.
Russell is in seventh behind Verstappen and he’s pressuring the Dutchman.
Hamilton has moved up into seven now!
Piastri pits and moves onto medium (13/44)
15:49 , Chris WilsonPiastri pits but Lando Norris hasn’t.
Plenty more are pitting too, including Leclerc, Verstappen and Lawson.
14 cars about to have mediums on now!
Hamilton onto medium tyres (12/44)
15:48 , Chris WilsonHamilton is the first to pit and moves onto slicks as Ferrari put the medium tyres on.
Norris insists over radio that the slicks aren’t needed yet, though Piastri has already said that “slicks are not too far off”.
‘My tyres are gone” says Leclerc elsewhere!
Piastri opening up a gap (11/44)
15:46 , Chris WilsonThe gap between Piastri and Norris has opened up to just over 2s now!
Hamilton has eased past Gasly too and he’s already into 13th!
Verstappen thinks he might get the chance to pass Leclerc but no DRS for now.
Top places staying the same for now (10/44)
15:43 , Chris WilsonNot too many changes in the opening laps, with Piastri swapping places with Norris but positions three to 10 remaining the same other than Russell overtaking Albon.
1 - Piastri
2 - Norris
3 - Leclerc
4 - Verstappen
5 - Russell
6 - Albon
7 - Tsunda
8 - Hadjar
9 - Lawson
10 - Bortoleto
Hamilton into 15th (8/44)
15:39 , Chris WilsonHamilton goes inside on the bus stop chicane and moves past Sainz into 16th.
Moments later, he’s around the outside of Colapinto to take 15th!
A gap of around 1s between the leader and Norris.
Piastri struggling with battery issue? (7/44)
15:37 , Chris WilsonThe latest is that Piastri could be struggling with his battery pack at present.
A battle is opening up between Leclerc and Verstappen in three and four too.
Dry lines are starting to appear on some corners.
Piastri out of DRS range (6/44)
15:35 , Chris WilsonPiastri already has 1.1s on Norris, and the Briton asks his team radio why he had "no pack" on the restart, suggesting he had a battery issue in the power unit.
Russell gets past Albon too, and he moves into fifth.
Piastri overtakes Norris on first lap (5/44)
15:33 , Chris WilsonNorris telegraphs his move on the hill and Piastri comes through on the inside!
Belgian GP LIVE - Green flag!
15:32 , Chris WilsonAway we go here! Not racing until the line, but the safety car is in.
Belgian GP LIVE
15:30 , Chris WilsonLap four and the safety car remains on track. Conditions look to be improving though.
The FIA has announced we’ll have a rolling start.
Belgian GP LIVE
15:28 , Chris WilsonLap three of 44 and the safety car is still out.
No more news right now...
Belgian GP LIVE
15:26 , Chris Wilson“It’s not side-to-side equal” says Norris on the grid, adding that his side is a lot wetter. He won’t want a standing start as it stands!
Belgian GP LIVE
15:25 , Chris Wilson“It’s drying pretty quick” says Hamilton on team radio. It’s looking okay out there!
No indication that the safety car is coming in yet though.
Belgian GP LIVE
15:22 , Chris Wilson“Quite a lot better than before” says Norris on the visibility, though he says it’s still quite bad on the straight. That should clear quickly though.
Belgian GP LIVE
15:20 , Chris WilsonWe’re underway behind the safety car!
This is the first lap of the race, as we’d had the formation lap and the cars have been fuelled appropriately.
Belgian GP LIVE
15:19 , Chris WilsonWhen the race does get under way, it will be a rolling start behind the Safety Car.
FIA UPDATE
15:14 , Kieran JacksonKieran Jackson at Spa-Francorchamps
FIA: “Race Control are planning at least 2 laps behind Safety Car to assess visibility.”
Mystic Jackson eh....
Brown: 'They clearly smell that both of them have a chance'
15:13 , Chris Wilson“You get the adrenaline going getting ready, then you have to go for a coffee, then you go again,” says McLaren CEO Zak Brown.
“Sun’s out now, interesting to see how quick the track dries.
“I’d be surprised [at astanding start] but I’ve not seen what the grid looks like,” he adds.
On the relationship between Piastri & Norris: “They clearly smell that both of them have a chance at being world champions.
“I’ve not noticed any difference, but I’m sure as it ramps up the stress will get higher.
But the relationship between them is awesome,” he adds.
Race underway at 3.20pm
15:08 , Chris Wilson“Now it's 13 minutes to go until the race starts, so you warm up with the physio,” explains Rosberg on commentary.
"I do some 'keepie uppies' then get in the car, which takes me eight minutes to get comfortable,” he jokes.
FIA UPDATE
15:05 , Kieran JacksonKieran Jackson at Spa-Francorchamps
FIA: “Race will resume at 16:20 local time.”
15 minutes then.
Sun in Spa!
15:03 , Kieran JacksonKieran Jackson at Spa-Francorchamps
In typically ‘out of nowhere’ fashion, it’s now sunny here!
In my view, the best way to dry the track is to get the cars out there, even for a few laps behind the safety car.
Let’s get going...
Medical car zooming around the track
15:02 , Chris WilsonThe medical car has started running around the track, to plenty of cheers from the fans.
Water is still being cleared from the track.
There are sections of blue sky appearing over the course now.
Rosberg speaks on relationship with Hamilton
15:00 , Chris WilsonNico Rosberg says "I'm OK... I'm OK” when he is asked whether he misses Lewis Hamilton.
“We live in the same building, yes, we catch up from time to time. We have a nice mutual relationship,” he adds.
“Moving on... Yes [I had his safe for his jewellery in my apartment], I was considering to think if I could forget where I put it the next time he asks for it.”
FIA target start soon
14:58 , Chris Wilson"We anticipate the rain to stop at 4pm (3pm UK time),” says the FIA.
"We will then target a start as soon as the standing water has been cleared from the track."
“For clarification, art. 5.4.d) about the 3-hour period to run the race only applies when there’s a race interruption. In this case, the race has not started,” adds the FIA.
Starting grid
14:55 , Chris WilsonA reminder of the starting grid just in case we do get underway soon.
1. Lando Norris
2. Oscar Piastri
3. Charles Leclerc
4. Max Verstappen
5. Alex Albon
6. George Russell
7. Yuki Tsunoda
8. Isack Hadjar
9. Liam Lawson
10. Gabriel Bortoleto
11. Esteban Ocon
12. Ollie Bearman
13. Pierre Gasly
14. Nico Hulkenberg
15. Franco Colapinto
16. Lance Stroll
Pit lane. Lewis Hamilton
Pit lane. Kimi Antonelli
Pit lane. Fernando Alonso
Pit lane. Carlos Sainz
Belgian GP start suspended
14:52 , Chris Wilson“It's our understanding, the rain should be passing very soon, then it should be over for the rain,” says Mattia Binotto regarding the question of a 3pm start (4pm local time).
Belgian GP start suspended
14:51 , Chris WilsonSome photos from Spa this afternoon...
FIA UPDATE
14:50 , Kieran JacksonKieran Jackson at Spa-Francorchamps
Message from the FIA: “We anticipate the rain to stop at 16:00 (local time). We will then target a start as soon as the standing water has been cleared from the track.”
Race control reckons the rain will stop in 10 minutes then. It’s looking a smidge brighter in the distance, but only a smidge.
Still we wait.
FIA announce rule change
14:48 , Chris WilsonSome changes to the usual race-day regulations here from the FIA.
They have changed the rule that cars must stay within 10 car lengths apart, with the distance now standing at within 20 car lengths.
If the distance does not exceed 20, no penalty will be delivered.
Belgian GP start suspended
14:43 , Chris WilsonThe drivers are looking pretty relaxed all things considered, with Ollie Bearman just speaking to Sky and telling them that they’ll be getting a 10-minute warning before the restart.
A little insight into the conditions below...
Belgian GP start suspended
14:40 , Chris Wilson“15 minutes, 20 minutes we should have a clear window to start,” says Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu.
Hopeful signs at the moment.
Belgian GP start suspended
14:36 , Chris Wilson"The conditions out there are horrendous and the race start will be extremely difficult,” says Nico Rosberg on Sky.
"You can't see anything. You have long straights but must stay flat, but you're blind, looking left or right at the wall to find a brake marker board."
Belgian GP start suspended
14:31 , Chris Wilson“In about 10 minutes, they expect rain to be heavy, as it was in the last batch,” says McLaren team radio.
"Then a 30-40 minute delay while we wait for that.
"Randy (Singh) and the FIA expect we will have to wait for that 30-40 minutes before we get going,” says the message to Piastri.
Forecast not promising
14:26 , Chris WilsonThe forecast for today at Spa is still not promising either – see below!
2021 Belgian GP
14:22 , Chris WilsonA reminder that the 2021 race at Spa was the shortest ever F1 race, with that edition ending after just one lap!
The first two laps took place behind the safety car before the race was stopped after a red flag on the first real lap.
It holds the record for the shortest Formula One World Championship race in terms of distance (6.880 km) and number of laps raced (one)!
Max Verstappen ‘won’ the race that day, with Russell and Hamilton completing the podium.
Record attendance at Spa
14:15 , Kieran JacksonKieran Jackson at Spa-Francorchamps
As news of Spa’s record-breaking attendance this weekend of 389,000 is revealed, a colleague in the media centre makes the point that this rain - and delays, maybe even a potential race suspension - could mean a lot of refunds!
With heavy rain in four minutes, it’ll be a while yet before we go racing.
Belgian GP start suspended
14:13 , Chris Wilson“Expecting heavy rain in nine minutes” is the quote on Albon’s team radio.
“Visibility. The standing water is not too bad,” says Norris when asked what the main problem is.
Belgian GP start suspended
14:09 , Chris WilsonHaas team principal Ayao Komatsu was speaking to Sky, and he says that there is “ a gap in the weather which is around 10 to 15 minutes”.
“A start procedure is at least 10 minutes, so by the time we get going again, there will be more rain so we could wait for more time,” he adds.
Belgian GP start suspended
14:05 , Kieran JacksonKieran Jackson at Spa-Francorchamps
Message from the FIA: “Most drivers have reported poor visibility during the formation lap, hence the red flag.”
Start delayed
14:04 , Chris Wilson"Not ideal for the time being. I can't see a lot behind the Safety Car,” says Lando Norris during the formation lap.
"I can't imagine what it's like for everyone else,” he adds.
Start delayed
14:03 , Chris WilsonRace control have decided to deny the start of the race having seen the visibility.
Formation lap underway
14:00 , Chris WilsonWe’re underway with the first lap of the day.
All 20 drivers have chosen to start on the intermediates this afternoon.
Belgian GP start
14:00 , Kieran JacksonKieran Jackson at Spa-Francorchamps
Formation lap behind the safety car, but will we get a standing race start or a rolling start?
It was very wet on the grid - and it looks bleak out in the distance.
Formation lap to begin behind safety car
13:58 , Chris WilsonRace control have announced that the formation lap will begin at 2pm, though it will be behind the Safety Car.
The Spa-Francorchamps is the longest track on the F1 race circuit, coming in at just over 7km. It has held an F1 every year bar two since 1985, with 2003 and 2006 the exceptions.
Today’s race takes place over 44 laps of the course, covering a distance of just over 308km.
Race could be delayed
13:52 , Chris WilsonWe could see a delay here as the rain continues to fall, with visibility problems a real issue. There is alternative chatter of a start under the safety car too.
“I think if it gets harder than this, probably [a delay],” says Oscar Piastri.
“It also means that the guys behind can’t do much either,” he says when questioned if the rain could have given him a chance to gain a place.
It is what it is,” he adds as he finishes.
Weather to play a part in Spa?
13:50 , Chris WilsonIt’s looking very grey in Spa at the moment, and we’re anticipating more rain, with the fans now reaching for umbrellas and hoods as it begins to pour.
More rain is forecast for around the start of the race too, so we could be in for an interesting start.
What is the starting grid?
13:45 , Chris WilsonWith 15 minutes to go until the race, here’s another look at the starting grid:
1. Lando Norris
2. Oscar Piastri
3. Charles Leclerc
4. Max Verstappen
5. Alex Albon
6. George Russell
7. Yuki Tsunoda
8. Isack Hadjar
9. Liam Lawson
10. Gabriel Bortoleto
11. Esteban Ocon
12. Ollie Bearman
13. Pierre Gasly
14. Nico Hulkenberg
15. Franco Colapinto
16. Lance Stroll
Pit lane. Lewis Hamilton
Pit lane. Kimi Antonelli
Pit lane. Fernando Alonso
Pit lane. Carlos Sainz
F1 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
13:35 , Chris WilsonHow will this trio fare today?
2024 at Spa
13:25 , Chris WilsonThe 2024 edition of this race brought Lewis Hamilton’s last grand prix win, though it was a controversial one as he originally came second to George Russell, before his teammate was disqualified as his car failed to meet the minimum weight requirement.
This meant Hamilton landed his second win of the season and his last win in a Mercedes, with Oscar Piastri completing the original podium.
Charles Leclerc went on to complete the podium after Russell’s DQ, with Max Verstappen coming in fourth and Lando Norris in fifth.
Nico Hulkenberg: ‘F1 podium talk was cold coffee – but I’m not done yet’
13:15 , Kieran JacksonAfter 239 F1 races, Hulkenberg secured a glorious first podium at Silverstone last time out. Now, the 37-year-old has his sights set on more success with Audi in 2026 and beyond. Kieran Jackson meets the impressively understated German driver:
Nico Hulkenberg: ‘F1 podium talk was cold coffee – but I’m not done yet’
F1 Driver Standings
13:05 , Chris WilsonHere’s a brief look at the standings in the Drivers’ Championship ahead of today’s race, with Oscar Piastri leading the title race by nine points after coming second in the sprint race yesterday.
Lando Norris is in second still while Max Verstappen remains 68 points behind Piastri in third.
1 - Oscar Piastri - 241pts
2 - Lando Norris - 232pts
3 - Max Verstappen - 173pts
4 - George Russell - 147pts
5 - Charles Leclerc - 124pts
6 - Lewis Hamilton - 103pts
7 - Kimi Antonelli - 63pts
8 - Alex Albon - 46pts
9 - Nico Hulkenberg - 37pts
10 - Esteban Ocon - 27pts
Lewis Hamilton laments ‘unacceptable’ mistake as Lando Norris takes pole at Belgian GP
12:45 , Chris WilsonLewis Hamilton lamented an “unacceptable” error in qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday as Lando Norris turned the tables on teammate Oscar Piastri to take pole position.
Norris, who trails Piastri by nine points in the world championship, was a step behind the Australian in sprint qualifying on Friday, but turned his fortunes around, setting a time which edged out his teammate by 0.085 seconds.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc came home a surprise third in qualifying ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who won the sprint race earlier on Saturday.
Hamilton laments ‘unacceptable’ mistake as Norris takes pole at Belgian GP
Sainz relegated to pit lane
12:40 , Chris WilsonA pre-race update here as Carlos Sainz has been relegated to a start from the pit lane as Williams have decided to change the mechanical and aerodynamic set-up of his car.
Nigeria enters race to host F1 grand prix in Africa – with ex-Premier League player fronting bid
12:35 , Chris WilsonNigeria has become the latest African country to declare an interest in hosting a Formula 1 race, with ex-Premier League player Marvin Sordell fronting the bid.
F1 currently hosts a race on every habitable continent apart from Africa, with the last iteration taking place 32 years ago via the 1993 South African Grand Prix at the Kyalami Circuit outside Johannesburg.
Yet now, South Africa (with Kyalami and Cape Town vying to host), Rwanda and Morocco have all announced their intention to launch a bid.
Nigeria enters race to host F1 in Africa – with ex-Premier League player fronting bid
F1 grid: Starting positions for Belgian Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton makes change
12:25 , Chris WilsonF1 returns after a three-week mid-season break for the Belgian Grand Prixat the famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit - and the third sprint weekend of the 2025 season.
Hamilton won last year’s race at Spa-Francorchamps after George Russell was disqualified. This weekend’s race will also be the first since Christian Horner’s dismissal at Red Bull, with Laurent Mekies taking charge for the first time.
Below is each driver’s position on the starting grid ahead of the race:
The scene at Spa
12:22 , Kieran JacksonKieran Jackson at Spa-Francorchamps
As predicted, it’s wet. Very wet.
It’s been raining most of the morning, with brief intermissions, but while the F3 race was cancelled, F2 and the Porsche Super Cup completed their races fine.
What impact will the rain have this afternoon?
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff on the race:
12:15 , Kieran Jackson“With a mixed weather forecast for tomorrow's race, we will be looking to take advantage of any opportunities that come our way.
“We are not fooling ourselves though; the pace of our car has not been sufficient this weekend to challenge at the front and that is unlikely to change tomorrow.
“We will race hard to maximise our result but must ensure we start the weekend in a much stronger position in Budapest next week.”
Lewis Hamilton reacts to Christian Horner’s Red Bull exit: ‘It was remarkable what he did’
12:05 , Kieran JacksonLewis Hamilton has paid tribute to Christian Horner after his exit from Red Bull a fortnight ago.
Horner, 51, was relieved of his duties as Red Bull team principal after 20 years in charge, in a shock announcement which sent shockwaves through the paddock.
Horner won 14 world championships in total across his two decades at the team and has been a fierce rival for Hamilton, both during his time at McLaren and at Mercedes.
Full quotes below:
Hamilton reacts to Horner’s F1 exit at Red Bull: ‘It was remarkable what he did’
Alex Albon, who qualified P5:
11:55 , Kieran Jackson“I’m really happy. We fixed the issue we had on Friday, which made the biggest difference. The lap felt tricky, and it was difficult to see where I could find the lap time, so I wasn’t expecting to make such a big step forward in Q3.
“The working window for the tyres is very narrow and we did a good job to find that sweet spot to pull it all together. Our race pace feels strong, so I’m hoping for a relatively straightforward race tomorrow.”
Charles Leclerc, after qualifying P3:
11:45 , Kieran Jackson“I’m very happy today, strange to say that as it’s still three-tenths, but I did not expect it. That was a really good lap.
“It’s good to have a qualifying where you know we didn’t leave anything on the table.
“Their racepace looked very strong this morning, hopefully the changes give us a upper hand.”
Lando Norris after securing pole position:
11:24 , Kieran Jackson“It was a decent lap, yeah happy. Everyone was pretty worried after yesterday but I was confident going into today, good to see I can get back to the top.
“It was nothing to worry about, people like to make a lot of things up, the car is flying a lot this weekend. We’re pushing each other this weekend, it’s a good, tough battle we have at the minute.
“I prefer it to stay dry tomorrow, honestly. It’d be nice to have a dry Sunday, but I don’t mind.”
F1 driver standings
11:00 , Kieran Jackson1. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 241 points
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 232 points
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 173 points
4. George Russell (Mercedes) – 147 points
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 124 points
6. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 103 points
7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 63 points
8. Alex Albon (Williams) – 46 points
9. Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber) - 37 points
10. Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 27 points
12. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) – 22 points
12. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 20 points
13. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – 19 points
14. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 16 points
15. Carlos Sainz (Williams) – 16 points
16. Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 12 points
17. Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – 10 points
18. Ollie Bearman (Haas) – 8 points
19. Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) – 4 points
20. Franco Colapinto (Alpine) – 0 points
21. Jack Doohan (Alpine) – 0 points
NEW: Lewis Hamilton will start from the pit-lane
10:49 , Kieran JacksonFerrari have confirmed that Hamilton - who qualified 16th - will start from the pit-lane, having taken a number of new power unit elements.
Kimi Antonelli (originally 18th) and Fernando Alonso (originally 19th) also set to start from the pit-lane.
Laurent Mekies makes Christian Horner admission in first Red Bull press conference
10:30 , Kieran JacksonNew Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies admitted he does not know why Christian Horner was relieved of his duties a fortnight ago.
French engineer Mekies, previously team principal at Red Bull’s sister F1 team Racing Bulls, has taken over from Horner and is at the helm this weekend for the Belgian Grand Prix.
Mekies previously enjoyed a near-decade stint at Toro Rosso, the old name for Red Bull’s sister team, and also has experience to his name at Ferrari and the FIA.
Yet a brief Red Bull statement announcing Horner’s departure did not spell out the specific reason why the Briton lost his job, with drivers Max Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda also unable to give a clear cause on Thursday.
Full quotes below:
Laurent Mekies makes Christian Horner admission in first Red Bull F1 press conference
A reminder of the starting grid today:
10:00 , Kieran Jackson1. Lando Norris
2. Oscar Piastri
3. Charles Leclerc
4. Max Verstappen
5. Alex Albon
6. George Russell
7. Yuki Tsunoda
8. Isack Hadjar
9. Liam Lawson
10. Gabriel Bortoleto
11. Esteban Ocon
12. Ollie Bearman
13. Pierre Gasly
14. Nico Hulkenberg
15. Carlos Sainz
16. Lewis Hamilton
17. Franco Colapinto
18. Kimi Antonelli
19. Fernando Alonso
20. Lance Stroll
QUALIFYING REPORT: Lewis Hamilton laments ‘unacceptable’ mistake as Lando Norris takes pole at Belgian GP
09:00 , Kieran JacksonKieran Jackson at Spa-Francorchamps
Lewis Hamilton lamented an “unacceptable” error in qualifying at the Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday as Lando Norris turned the tables on teammate Oscar Piastri to take pole position.
Norris, who trails Piastri by nine points in the world championship, was a step behind the Australian in sprint qualifying on Friday but turned his fortunes around, setting a time which edged out his teammate by 0.085 seconds.
Hamilton laments ‘unacceptable’ mistake as Norris takes pole at Belgian GP
Oscar Piastri after qualifying P2:
08:00 , Kieran Jackson“A bit disappointing, the second lap was coming together really well but I made a little mistake into 14. It’s fine margins out there, not a bad place to be starting but bit disappointing.
“We learn a lot from each other [Lando] every weekend, but also makes it difficult when you’re trying to fight each other.
“After the sprint, I was aiming for P2! I don’t know what the weather’s going to do tomorrow, we’ll see what we get.”
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