F1's Spa weekend kicks off a new era for Red Bull
Photo:
Thomas Maheux/SWpix.com / PHOTOSPORT
Formula 1's Spa weekend marks a new start for Red Bull and reigning world champion Max Verstappen as the team go racing for the first time without Christian Horner at the helm.
The Briton's sudden sacking after a 20-year reign of rare success, including the most dominant of seasons in 2023, has had the sport buzzing for weeks with plenty of questions to be asked in Belgium.
A Saturday sprint will be the first race of new boss Laurent Mekies' tenure and the change, and how it affects four-times world champion Verstappen's future, remains the big talking point of the moment.
Horner has made no public comment and Red Bull's preview for the 13th round of the 24-race season made no mention of him.
Mekies, promoted from Racing Bulls who have handed over the reins to Alan Permane, arrives with Red Bull fourth overall and Verstappen a distant third in the drivers' standings behind McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
That intra-team title battle is likely to have some extra sizzle at Spa-Francorchamps as Norris seeks a third win in a row - new territory for the Briton - and the chance to take over at the top.
The sprint format offers more points than usual and Norris, whose mother is Belgian, is only eight behind the Australian going to a high-speed track that is a favourite for most drivers.
Piastri, despite his generally unruffled exterior, may also be still simmering at the 10 second penalty that cost him a win in Britain and handed victory to Norris.
He will want to hit back as Formula 1 kicks off a Belgium/Hungary double-header - the first fast and often wet while the second is twisty and hot - before the long August break.
George Russell, his contract expiring at the end of the season and in danger of losing his Mercedes seat to Verstappen or having him as an uncomfortable teammate, is also not short of motivation.
The Briton was stripped of victory last year at Spa when post-race checks found his car to be underweight, handing victory to then-teammate Lewis Hamilton in what remains the seven-times champion's most recent win in F1.
Ferrari have yet to triumph, other than a Shanghai sprint, since Hamilton moved from Mercedes to Maranello in January but they are gathering momentum.
The Italian team are second overall and Charles Leclerc has secured three podiums in the last five races while Hamilton was fourth at Silverstone.
New Zealand's Liam Lawson wil be planning to get back into the points after lasting just one lap at Silverstone when he was hit by Esteban Ocon.
New Zealand driver Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls.
Photo:
ANTONIN VINCENT / PHOTOSPORT
Lap distance: 7.004km. Total distance: 308.052km (44 laps)
2024 pole position: Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Red Bull one minute 53.159 seconds*
2024 race winner: Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes**
Race lap record: 1:44.701, Sergio Perez (Mexico) Red Bull 2024.
Start time: 1300GMT (1am Monday NZ time)
*Verstappen was demoted to 11th on the grid for the use of an additional power unit element. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc started on pole.
**Mercedes' George Russell finished first but was disqualified for having an underweight car. Teammate Hamilton was promoted from second.
The grand prix is the third sprint weekend of the year, with qualifying for the sprint on Friday and the 100km race on Saturday before qualifying for Sunday's main event.
There is no Belgian driver on the starting grid but Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris have Belgian mothers. Verstappen was also born in Belgium.
This will be the 70th Belgian Grand Prix and 58th at Spa.
Spa is the longest lap in F1, with the fewest laps, and one of the fastest with an average speed of around 230km/h. Cars can hit 315km/h at Blanchimont.
Three current drivers have won at Spa: Hamilton (2010, 2015, 2017, 2020, 2024), Leclerc (2019) and Verstappen (2021, 2022, 2023).
Michael Schumacher won a record six times at Spa, including from 16th on the grid in a wet 1995 race. Hamilton can equal that tally this year.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri leads teammate Lando Norris by eight points. Verstappen is third and 69 points off the lead.
In the constructors' standings, McLaren (460 points) are now 238 points clear of second-placed Ferrari (222), with Mercedes third (210) and Red Bull fourth (172).
Spa last year was Hamilton's most recent win and the record-extending 105th of his career. He has made 368 starts.
Piastri has won five of 12 races this season, Norris four, Verstappen two and Russell one.
Norris is going for three wins in a row for the first time in his career.
Verstappen has won 65 grands prix and is third on the all-time list after Michael Schumacher on 91.
Norris has eight career wins, Piastri seven.
McLaren have had five one-two finishes this season, including the last two races.
Piastri and Verstappen have been on pole four times this season and Norris three, Russell once.
The McLaren drivers have each finished on the podium 10 times in 2025.
Charles Leclerc's second place in Monaco remains Ferrari's best of the season so far. Hamilton has yet to stand on the podium for Ferrari.
Piastri is the only driver to have scored in every race this season. The Australian has scored for 38 race weekends in a row, if sprints are included.
Only one driver on the grid has yet to score - Alpine rookie Franco Colapinto.
This weekend will be the first grand prix since 2004 without Christian Horner in charge at Red Bull. Mercedes' Toto Wolff (since 2013) is now the longest-serving principal.
Nico Hulkenberg's third place for Sauber at Silverstone, the last race before Spa, removed his unwanted record of being the most experienced driver never to stand on the podium. He did so in his 239th race.
The record reverts to fellow-German Adrian Sutil, who made 128 starts with a best result of fourth.
Mercedes are marking their 600th grand prix weekend as an engine supplier.
Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda is making his 100th start.
- Reuters
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