Since its first Formula 1 Grand Prix in 1925, the skies at Spa have always been full
of surprises. And this year was no different. With pit lane starts and a delayed race kickoff, the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix delivered another chapter of Formula 1 history.
McLaren – From a 1-2 Lockout to a 1-2 Finish
McLaren dominated the weekend once again, from free practice to qualifying, where they secured a front-row lockout. Despite experiencing early issues with their battery packs, the British team dominated the front row. After a tense battle between its two drivers in the last few laps of the race, Oscar Piastri took the first place on the podium, with Lando Norris finishing in second.
Ferrari – Tackling the Climb
With Charles Leclerc finishing third in Spa for the past two years and Lewis Hamilton winning in 2024, the spotlight fell on Ferrari as the lights went out. Hamilton had a rocky start to the weekend in qualifying, but his race performance saw him climb up to P7, securing him the title of driver of the day and six points for the team. Leclerc, who started in third place, managed to hold onto the position and finished alongside the two McLarens on the podium.
Mercedes: The Little Wins
Despite not making it onto the podium, both Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Geroge Russell managed to improve their grid positions. The Italian driver climbed from the pit lane to P16, while Russell remained near the front of the grid throughout, improving from P6 to P5.
Red Bull Racing – All eyes watching
Spa marked Red Bull’s first race since Christian Horner’s departure, putting them especially under the spotlight. After securing a win in the sprint and P3 on the starting grid, Max Verstappen maintained his pace near the front throughout the race, but ultimately failed to secure a podium finish, ending up in fourth place.
Yuki Tsunoda finished in 13th place, failing to secure any points for the team.
Williams: comeback or collapse?
The weekend began well for Williams, with Carlos Sainz achieving the team’s best ever sprint race result by finishing in sixth place, and Alex Albon starting the race in fifth place on the grid. While Albon secured points and finished in sixth place, Sainz was unable to catch up with his teammate and finished in eighteenth place.
Kick Sauber: no podium, but points!
Silverstone was a monumental race for Sauber. Although Nico Hülkenberg was unable to secure another podium finish, he climbed from P14 to P12. Meanwhile, Gabriel Bortoleto secured his second points finish in Formula 1, finishing Spa in P9.
Racing Bulls – mixed fortunes
Both drivers qualified in the top ten, but only Liam Lawson managed to bring home points for the team with his eighth-place finish. Isack Hadjar struggled to keep up with the rest of the grid and crossed the finish line in twentieth place.
Aston Martin: from upgrades to uncertainty
After a difficult qualifying session on Saturday, Lance Stroll started the race from 16th position and Fernando Alonso from the pitlane after modifying their power units. They ultimately finished in P14 and P17, respectively.
Haas: when the rain fell, so did they.
It was an unfortunate race for Haas this weekend. Neither Esteban Ocon nor Oliver Bearman managed to score points for the team, finishing in 15th and 11th place respectively. This is Bearman’s fourth consecutive 11th place result.
Alpine – Bringing up the Rear
With both drivers qualifying in the bottom ten, the odds were not in Alpine’s favour. Spa was another race to forget for Franco Colapinto, who started in 15th place and finished in 19th place. While Pierre Gasly managed to score a point for the team by finishing in P10, ahead of his P13 start, these results still leave Alpine at the bottom of the constructors’ standings.
Following today’s podium, the championship gap has increased to 16 points, with Piastri maintaining the lead.
The next race will take place in Hungary on Sunday 3rd August at 2 pm.
Written by Reo.
Edited by Jessica.
Foto credit to: Reisenaround.com
About The Author
Leave a Reply