Written by Marcus Woodhouse
We’ve had 13 rounds of spectacular, uninhibited Formula 1 action and there’s still one time for one big send-off at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps before we slide stress-free into the summer break. This track encapsulates what makes Formula 1 so great, in its history, its beauty, and its rip-roaring action. So, here is everything you need to know about the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix.
Last Race Recap
Last weekend, the F1 circus headed to the Hungaroring for the Hungarian Grand Prix, and it was action-packed right from start to incredible finish. Qualifying on Saturday was dramatic to say the least, and we knew from then on it was going to be a weekend to remember.
The challengers came one-by-one to go quickest, but no one could topple a monstrous lap from Lando Norris that saw him take his third pole position in F1. Oscar Piastri was marginally behind, while Max Verstappen cut a frustrated figure down in P3.
Behind them, Lewis Hamilton was sandwiched by the two Ferraris before Fernando Alonso led the two Aston Martins in an impressive P7 and P8. Daniel Ricciardo was the faster of the two RBs in Q3 as Yuki Tsunoda had his session cut short by a fairly scary crash, the impact measuring a staggering 68G.E
arly on, we saw Sergio Perez end his qualifying hopes in the barriers as the rain started to fall, while George Russell was the other high-profile casualty of the session, a fuel mishap from Mercedes ruining his chances of getting through. Alpine had a disastrous day, locking out the back row of the grid before Pierre Gasly eventually elected to start from the pit lane instead.
Race day came around in no time, and all eyes were on the top three. Norris had a decent getaway but a slow run down to turn one allowed his teammate to nip down the inside and take the lead. Verstappen made it three-wide but could only overtake the Brit off-circuit, soon advised to concede the place.
Hamilton had a great start, even getting ahead of Norris briefly before being pegged back in the same lap. Leclerc overtook his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz early on as well, before all the drivers came into the pits in dribs and drabs, as Hamilton managed to successfully undercut Verstappen for third.
The Dutchman was pumping in the fastest laps, however, and a switch-up in the order seemed inevitable when he forced Hamilton into a lock-up and breezed past him, only to lose all grip on the marbles and remain behind. All this fighting was bringing Leclerc into the fray somewhat, while Norris was closing the gap to Piastri out in front.
Hamilton and Leclerc were the first of the frontrunners to make their second stop, again undercutting Verstappen much to his abject frustration. This was not the first time he had voiced his annoyance on the radio and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.
Five laps later, McLaren made the call to bring Norris in before his teammate in an attempt to cover off the threat from Hamilton behind. Piastri got his fresh rubber just two laps later, but the time delta was enough to send Norris into the lead of the race, although his teammate had the quicker tyres now.
McLaren were swift to inform their two drivers that they wished to revert the order, as Norris had benefited from a team decision, and it would be the fairest thing to put Piastri back in front, though ideally without making Norris lose too much time in doing so.
Verstappen and Sainz boxed and emerged in fifth and sixth respectively, while Russell and Perez had managed to drag themselves up into the next two positions. The reigning champion soon soared past Leclerc and set Hamilton in his sights to try to earn himself a podium.
The gap between the two McLarens was widening, and while Norris was being encouraged to save tyres here, there, and everywhere, it was becoming harder and harder to orchestrate a swap. The radio messages were turning desperate, as Will Joseph tried to plead with his emotions to slow down and let his teammate pass.
There was drama everywhere as Verstappen closed up to Hamilton and found himself unable to overtake once again. In an act of pent-up frustration, he dived down the inside into turn one, out-braking himself massively and making contact with his rival. Hamilton emerged unscathed but Verstappen had bounced up in the air and dropped down in fifth position.
Finally, with two laps remaining Norris conceded the position and thus the victory to his teammate, and it was a first Formula One Grand Prix win for Oscar Piastri. Jubilation would be an overstatement but at the end of the day, McLaren had brought home another 1-2 finish and the tension of the race would dissipate not long after.
Hamilton defended bravely to take a well-deserved podium, his 200th in the sport, ahead of Leclerc and Verstappen, who wasn’t penalised for his role in the collision in a post-race stewards inquiry. Sainz led home Perez and Russell, both of whom should be commended for excellent recovery drives and some solid points to boot.
Tsunoda benefited from a rapid repair job by his team after qualifying to take P9, while Lance Stroll rounded out the top ten. Alonso had a miserable day just a few seconds down the road, and Ricciardo was voicing his disappointment at a failed strategy on the radio at the chequered flag.
Haas, Williams, and Kick Sauber all had forgettable weekends outside of the points. Esteban Ocon could only improve by one position from his grid slot to P18, while Gasly retired early on with a suspected hydraulic leak.
Circuit Guide
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is a personal favourite of many drivers and fans alike, with hair-raising corners and spectacular straights. Two DRS (Drag Reduction System) zones feature in the lap, although overtaking can often be seen on other areas of the circuit.
Qualifying on Saturday will see the drivers start their laps with a short run down to La Source, the slowest corner of the track. With a little jink right, the drivers prepare themselves for the dramatic ascent of Eau Rouge and Raidillon, where many a great driver has seen their lap cut short, before the elevation eases out onto the tremendous Kemmel Straight.
A helping of DRS propels them at high speed into Les Combes and Malmedy, making sure to keep it out of the gravel on the outside. One short straight later and they get to the wide, unforgiving Bruxelles corner, waiting an age to put their foot down on the exit.
From there, it’s another left turn of turn nine, before a brief lift-off allows them to steam all the way around Double Gauche and into the quick right-left of Les Fagnes. Two right-handers in Campus and Stavelot follow, where the drivers must maintain their momentum heading into the long winding run of Courbe Paul Frére and Blanchimont.
The drivers then have to slam on the brakes into the bus stop chicane, and past the pit entry, until it’s pedal to the metal over the line. DRS gives them a final boost on the start-finish straight.
Major Talking Points
Are McLaren taking the right approach to team orders? - We saw in Hungary a fair and balanced approach from McLaren, giving Piastri the lead after the team allowed Norris to undercut him, but is that really the best decision when Norris is trying to hunt down Verstappen in the Drivers Championship?
Can Perez impress in Spa and retain his seat? - It was a strong recovery drive from the Mexican in Hungary to claim P7, but his performances as of late have done nothing to alleviate the pressure on him at Red Bull, and with one race left before the summer break in which Red Bull love to swap their drivers around, can Perez do enough to seal his seat?
Have Mercedes finally found their rhythm? - With five podiums including two wins in the last five races, are we seeing a gradual return of the Mercedes we once knew, and can they close the gap further to the frontrunners of Red Bull and McLaren?
Is Alonso becoming disillusioned with his team? - It was an unwelcome return of dark times for Alonso and his Aston Martin team this weekend, with plenty of complaints over the radio about the inability of his car to even overtake the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg, so is the relationship between the Spaniard and his Aston Martin team starting to sour?
Do big changes at Audi suggest disharmony? - In the week, we were informed of the news that Mattia Binotto is returning to the sport to head the Audi F1 project, while Andreas Seidl is out not long after he came in, so do these major hierarchical changes suggest that all is not well for the incoming German manufacturers?
Weather Forecast
Rain is a common feature of Belgian Grands Prix but this weekend it only seems to be making an appearance on Saturday morning, and may well have cleared up by qualifying. Sunday remains relatively rain-free, with moderate temperatures throughout the weekend.
Weekend Schedule (in BST)
Practice 1 - Friday, 12:30
Practice 2 - Friday, 16:00
Practice 3 - Saturday, 11:30
Qualifying - Saturday, 15:00
Race - Sunday, 14:00
Broadcast Information
Region | Channel |
Africa | SuperSport |
Albania | Euronews Albania |
Armenia | FastSports |
Australia | Fox SportsFoxtelKayo |
Austria | Servus TVORF |
Azerbaijan | AzTVIdman Azerbaijan |
Belgium | RTBF Play Sports |
Bosnia | Sport Klub |
Brazil | TV BandeirantesBandsports |
Bulgaria | Nova Diema Sport |
Cambodia | beIN SPORTS |
Canada | RDS RDS 2 TSN Noovo |
Caribbean | Rush Sports |
China | CCTV Shanghai TV Guangdong Television Channel Tencent |
Chinese Taipei | Videoland ELTA |
Croatia | Sport Klub |
Cyprus | Cytavision |
Czech Republic & Slovakia | Nova |
Denmark | TV3 Viaplay |
Estonia | Viaplay Go3 Estonia |
Eurasia | Setanta Sports |
Finland | Viaplay V Sport 1 |
France | Canal+ |
Germany | Sky Deutschland |
Greece | ANT1 ANT1+ |
Hong Kong | beIN SPORTS Now Sports 1 & 2 |
Hungary | M4 (MTVA Sports Channel) |
Iceland | Viaplay |
India | FanCode/F1 TV |
Indonesia | beIN SPORTS |
In-ship & In-flight | Sport 24 Sport 24 Extra |
Israel | Sport 5 |
Italy | Sky Italia |
Japan | Fuji TV DAZN |
Kosovo | Sport Klub Artmotion Kosovo |
Laos | beIN SPORTS |
Latin America | ESPN |
Latvia | Viaplay GO3 Latvia |
Lithuania | Viaplay GO3 Lithuania |
Luxembourg | RTL Télé Lëtzebuerg |
Macedonia | Sport Klub |
Malaysia & Brunei | beIN SPORTS |
Malta | Go Sports |
Mexico | Fox Sports Mexico |
Montenegro | SportKlub |
Myanmar | Canal+ Sports Canal+ ACTION |
Netherlands | Viaplay |
New Zealand | Sky NZ |
Norway | V sport 1 Viaplay |
Papua New Guinea & Pacific Islands | TVWAN Sports |
Philippines | beIN SPORTS |
Poland | Viaplay |
Portugal | Sport TV |
Romania | Antena |
Serbia | SportKlub |
Singapore | beIN SPORTS |
Slovenia | SportKlub |
South Korea | Coupang Play |
Spain & Andorra | DAZN |
Sweden | Viaplay V sport motor TV10 |
Switzerland | SRF RSI RTS |
Thailand | beIN Sports |
Turkey | beIN Sports |
Ukraine | Setanta Ukraine |
United Kingdom | Sky Sports Channel 4 |
USA | ESPN ESPN Deportes |
Vietnam | K+ |
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