F1: 5 Things We Learned From the Belgian Grand Prix

The Belgian Grand Prix Sprint weekend at Spa-Francorchamps saw Max Verstappen take the win on Saturday and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri win the Grand Prix.

The GP start was delayed by more than an hour after the race director deemed the conditions too dangerous to race under due to poor visibility. Lando Norris started on pole as the race started behind a safety car. Once the cars got back on track after the red flag, Norris failed to negotiate the tricky start and lost out to his teammate at the end of the Kemmel Straight.

Norris finished behind Piastri in McLaren’s first Belgian GP victory since 2012, and crucially lost more ground in the drivers’ standings. Further down the grid, there were strong performances by Alex Albon and Lewis Hamilton, who fans named Driver of the Day.

Here are five things we learned from the Belgian GP:

5 – The FIA isn’t keen to use full wet tyres

Verstappen was the FIA’s harshest critic after the race was delayed by an hour and twenty minutes. The Dutch driver insisted the race should have started on time. He said: “I just find it is a bit of a shame for everyone, you will never see these classic kinds of wet races anymore”. The entire grid started on the intermediate rubber, and by lap nine, everyone was using slick tyres, which showed how fast the track dried. Several drivers backed up the stewards’ decision to delay the start, citing poor visibility on an already challenging track. Spa has seen two deaths in the last six years at the seven-kilometre-long track: Anthoine Hubert in 2019 and Dilano van ’t Hoff in 2023.

4 – Alex Albon continues great form

The Williams driver performed brilliantly to qualify fifth for the GP and ultimately finished sixth in the race after being passed by George Russell. The British Thai driver came under pressure from a resurgent Lewis Hamilton but showed strong defensive driving to keep the Ferrari at bay. Williams team boss James Vowles congratulated Alex over the radio, saying, “Well done, Alex. Really strong drive from you today. We’ll learn from that P6, defending every lap. Brilliant, brilliant job.” Albon is eighth in the championship with 54 points.

3 – Hamilton claws back a disastrous weekend

The seven-time world champion struggled in the qualifying sessions for the Sprint and GP, failing at the first hurdle on both occasions. He finished 15th in the Sprint and started from the pit lane after an engine change. An inspired call on lap 11 to pit Hamilton for medium tyres ahead of anyone else saw the Briton scythe through the field and finish in P7. He said: “The strategy and pit stop were executed perfectly, and the overnight changes we made to the setup allowed me to get the most out of the car. I felt much more comfortable behind the wheel, and I’m pleased with how everything came together.”

2 – Red Bull’s GP gamble didn’t pay off

Verstappen raced brilliantly on Saturday to win the race from P2, but the team’s decision to opt for a higher-downforce setting due to the anticipated wet conditions saw them lose out in the GP. It makes sense why Verstappen was keen to get the race started in the rainy conditions, as he would have the advantage over the McLarens. The four-time world champion finished fourth, behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and over 20 seconds adrift of Piastri.

1 – Piastri shows nerves of steel

The Australian driver held his nerve to pass teammate Norris on a damp Kemmel Straight. It’s a move that will be remembered for a long time. The championship leader took his chance on the first lap of the restart and never looked back. The 24-year-old showed why he’s the favourite to win the title ahead of Norris. He ended the Briton’s two-race winning streak to grab a sixth victory of 2025 and increased his lead to 16 points in the standings.