As much as the Formula 1 calendar has modernized over the last decade or so with races in venues such as Las Vegas, Miami, and the like, there are still those venues that epitomise the very essence of the sport. One such venue is the famed Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Spa.
The circuit, nearly seven kilometers or majestically combined corners, stands out well beyond F1 for some of the most famous stretches of asphalt in all of motorsport. The first corner, known as La Source, is most unique given that it is a hairpin at the start of the lap. Followed by the renowned Eau Rouge-Radillon combination. Later, into the lap the double-left-hander of Pouhon used to be a fearsome corner but with modern F1 cars braking has become little more than a suggestion. Though despite many of the corners like Eau Rouge, Pouhon, and Blanchimont, at the end of the lap, become much easier to negotiate for this era of cars it does nothing to detract from the aura of Spa.
Last year’s race ended in controversy but was it was a no less impressive performance from George Russell. The Mercedes driver called an audacious but brilliant strategy from the cockpit to run a one-stop strategy. He made it work too and crossed the finish line with a popular win. But. A post-race investigation found the Merc to be underweight – likely because of the higher-than-average tyre wear – and Russell was subsequently disqualified. It was an unfortunate outcome, but the rules are the rules.
This year the picture looks somewhat different. McLaren comfortably leads the constructor’s standings with Red Bull is all sorts of chaos, both on and off track. The news of Christian Horner’s sacking has settled, to a degree, by now but it will unquestionably a talking point throughout the weekend. It brings unnecessary complication to what has already been a difficult season for the team. The other part of the Red Bull-saga is the will-he-wont-he conundrum of Max Verstappen either remaining at the team or moving to Mercedes in 2026. There’s little doubt that Toto Wolff is pulling out all the stops to get Verstappen into his stable. Time will tell what the outcome of this will be. However, the rule reset for 2026 and Red Bull’s decline in form are big motivating factors for Verstappen.
Form wise it is difficult to look beyond McLaren for this weekend. Lando Norris especially will be looking for some redemption after fluffing it, in quali, in 2024. Ferrari too come to Belgium with a new suspension and with hope that it will push them forward. Mercedes too shouldn’t be too far off the pace. And then there is always the unpredictability of the weather around these parts. The great news is that this year’s Belgian Grand Prix is not easily predicted.
