In Pictures: Belgium 2025
The second half of the 2025 Formula One season kicked off at one of the sport’s most iconic venues, as Spa-Francorchamps played host to the Belgian Grand Prix in late July.
Following the earlier Sprint weekends in Shanghai and Miami, Belgium marked the third time this year the revised weekend format was used. Friday featured a single practice session before Sprint Qualifying set the grid for Saturday’s 15-lap Sprint. Later that same day, drivers returned to the track for traditional Grand Prix qualifying. Sunday brought the main event, 44 laps around the legendary circuit in the Ardennes. It was the second time Spa staged a Sprint weekend, the first being in 2023.
FRIDAY
In the lone free practice session, only Red Bull and Haas skipped running the Hard compound, starting instead on Mediums before switching to Softs as usual.
As per the regulations, Sprint Qualifying saw all teams use Mediums for SQ1 and SQ2, with Softs reserved for SQ3.
Oscar Piastri took pole for the Sprint, his McLaren clocking a record 1:40.510 around Spa-Francorchamps. Max Verstappen (1:40.987, Red Bull) and Lando Norris (1:41.128, McLaren) also bettered the previous layout record of 1:41.252 set by Lewis Hamilton in 2020. Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari completed the second row with a 1:41.278.
It marked Piastri’s third Sprint pole and McLaren’s sixth overall in this format, matching Verstappen. Eight teams placed in the top ten, with McLaren and Haas the only ones to field both drivers. Notably, previous 2025 Sprint polesitters Hamilton (Shanghai) and Antonelli (Miami) will start from the back rows.
SATURDAY
Saturday brought a shake-up after Friday’s Sprint Qualifying, where Oscar Piastri set a track record to take pole. The Sprint race went to Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing), claiming his 12th career Sprint win ahead of Piastri and McLaren teammate Lando Norris.
Norris struck back in Grand Prix qualifying, edging Piastri by just 0.085 seconds for pole. His best time of 1:40.562 fell short of Piastri’s Friday record by only 0.052 seconds. Charles Leclerc (1:40.900) and Verstappen, 0.003 seconds behind, filled the second row.
It was Norris’ 13th career pole and fifth of the season. For McLaren, it marked their 12th Belgian Grand Prix pole and first at Spa since 2012, when Jenson Button started from the front.
SUNDAY
Poor visibility from heavy rain forced the start procedure to be red-flagged after the formation lap. The race eventually resumed over an hour later, behind the Safety Car, with all drivers on Intermediate tires.
After four laps behind the Safety Car, racing got underway on a drying track. Lewis Hamilton was the first to switch to slicks on lap 11, and within two laps the entire field had followed suit. Lando Norris was the only driver to choose Hard tires, while everyone else opted for Mediums.
In the end, it was a McLaren one-two, with Oscar Piastri taking the win and Norris following him home. The checkered flag was waved by Belgian legend Jacky Ickx, an eight-time Grand Prix winner. Piastri’s victory was his eighth in Formula One, putting him level with Ickx, fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo, teammate Norris, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, and 1967 world champion Denny Hulme. For McLaren, it was their 15th win in Belgium and first since Jenson Button’s 2012 triumph. It was also the team’s 55th one-two finish and their sixth at this race, the last being David Coulthard ahead of Mika Häkkinen in 1999.
Leclerc completed the podium for the third consecutive Belgian Grand Prix. Spa also holds special significance for the Monegasque driver, as it was the venue of his maiden win in 2019. His Ferrari teammate, Lewis Hamilton, was voted Driver of the Day by the F1.com fans.
The rain, the drama, and McLaren’s commanding performance made the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix one to remember, highlighting not only Piastri’s growing stature but also a team rediscovering its winning pedigree at one of Formula One’s most storied circuits.
NEXT STOP: HUNGARY 🇭🇺
Excerpts and media courtesy of Pirelli S.p.A. and official Formula 1 Team Press Offices. All images are credited to their respective copyright holders and used for editorial purposes only.
