Rain lashes down on the Ardennes circuit as the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix kicks off at Spa-Francorchamps. Max Verstappen, starting from pole for Red Bull, holds the early lead, with McLaren’s Lando Norris tucked in behind. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, in his debut season with the Scuderia, sits third after a sharp getaway.
Lap 5: Chaos in the midfield. Williams driver Carlos Sainz clips the rear of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso at La Source, sending both into the barriers. Safety car deployed. Teams scramble for pit stops – Red Bull opts for mediums on Verstappen, while Mercedes fits softs to George Russell, who’s climbed to fifth.
Lap 10: Green flags wave. Norris attacks Verstappen into Les Combes but can’t make it stick. Hamilton pressures from third, his Ferrari showing strong pace in the wet. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri holds fourth, fending off Russell.
Lap 15: Rain eases slightly. Verstappen pulls a two-second gap. Behind, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly overtakes Haas rookie Oliver Bearman for eighth, capitalizing on the Briton’s lock-up at Bus Stop.
Lap 20: Pit window opens. Norris dives in first, switching to intermediates as the track dries. Verstappen follows a lap later, emerging just ahead. Hamilton stays out, banking on his tyres for a bold overcut strategy.
Lap 25: Drama for Red Bull – Sergio Perez, running seventh, reports engine issues and limps back to the pits. Retirement confirmed, a blow for the Mexican in his contract year.
Lap 30: Halfway mark. Verstappen leads Norris by 1.5 seconds, Hamilton now second after his late stop pays off. Piastri third, Russell fourth. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, starting from the back after a qualifying penalty, charges to sixth.
Lap 35: Sun breaks through. Slick tyres come into play. Leaders pit en masse. Norris gains on the out-lap, closing to within a second of Verstappen.
Lap 40: Battle intensifies. Norris attempts a divebomb at Eau Rouge, but Verstappen defends masterfully. Hamilton lurks, ready to pounce.
Lap 45: Final stops. Verstappen boxes for fresh softs, Norris mirrors. Hamilton takes mediums, eyeing a longer stint to the flag.
Lap 50: Five to go. Verstappen edges ahead, but Norris isn’t done. A Virtual Safety Car for debris from Yuki Tsunoda’s RB – he spun at Pouhon – bunches the pack.
Chequered flag: Verstappen takes the win by 0.8 seconds over Norris. Hamilton seals third for Ferrari, his first podium with the team. Piastri fourth, Russell fifth, Leclerc sixth after a storming drive. Sainz recovers to seventh post-crash, with Gasly, Alonso, and Bearman completing the points.
Verstappen extends his championship lead, while Norris keeps McLaren in the hunt. Next up: Monza in two weeks.
