If you ever needed a reminder that Formula 1 is a sport where fortune, folly, and the fickle Ardennes weather conspire to humble the mighty and elevate the bold, the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix delivered it with the subtlety of a thunderclap. Spa-Francorchamps, that ancient cathedral of speed and chaos, once again played host to a race that will be dissected in pubs, paddocks, and press rooms for years to come. Let’s take a walk through the rain-soaked drama, the heartbreaks, and the heroics that defined this year’s edition.
The Deluge and the Delay: Spa’s Weather Strikes Again
Spa and rain—name a more iconic duo. The 2025 Belgian Grand Prix was delayed by nearly an hour and a half due to heavy rain and poor visibility, evoking memories of Spa’s most infamous weather-affected races. The ghosts of 1998’s multi-car pileup and the farcical 2021 “race” behind the safety car seemed to hover over the circuit as the field waited, nerves fraying, for the skies to clear.
When the race finally started at 16:20 local time, it was behind the safety car, with all the tension of a Hitchcock thriller and none of the glamour. Four laps later, the real action began—and so did the unraveling of carefully laid plans.
The start procedure for F1’s Belgian Grand Prix was suspended due to poor visibility reported by many drivers on the formation lap.
Motorsport.com Race Report
Oscar Piastri: The Iceman Cometh
Let’s not mince words: Oscar Piastri was the man of the moment. After being outgunned by Lando Norris in qualifying, the young Australian seized his opportunity with the kind of cold-blooded precision that would make even Mika Häkkinen nod in approval. As the safety car peeled off and Norris slipped out of La Source, Piastri tucked in behind, braved the spray through Eau Rouge and Raidillon, and slingshotted past on the Kemmel Straight.
From there, he was untouchable. Nursing medium tyres to the flag while Norris struggled on hards, Piastri didn’t put a wheel wrong. It was his sixth win of the season, his eighth in Formula 1, and a statement that the championship momentum is very much his.
Piastri showed once again he is an ice cold assassin, sniping his opponent with pinpoint precision, an attribute he already displayed in Saudi Arabia against Max Verstappen and several other occasions.
Motorsport.com
Piastri’s rise is no fluke. Since his debut in 2023, he’s become the first Australian since Ricciardo to win multiple Grands Prix, and his calm under pressure is reminiscent of Schumacher’s legendary 1995 Spa comeback. McLaren, with 11 wins at Spa, has found a new hero for the Ardennes.
Lando Norris: The Pole That Got Away
If Spa teaches you anything, it’s that pole position is a suggestion, not a guarantee. Lando Norris, riding high after wins in Austria and Silverstone, looked set for a hat-trick. Instead, a slip at the worst possible moment and a strategy that left him wringing the neck of hard tyres consigned him to second.
Norris’ frustration was palpable. Three mistakes in the second half of the race cost him over four seconds, and the pit stop sequence—forced to go an extra lap—put him on the back foot. For a driver who has only once before started from pole and failed to win (hello, Sochi 2021), this one will sting.
Fundamentally, he turned a pole into second place and that’s a loss however you look at it.
The Race
Norris remains Piastri’s closest challenger, but Spa was a reminder that in F1, the margins are razor-thin and the weather is always waiting to humble you.
Charles Leclerc: The Relentless Defender
Third place rarely feels so hard-earned. Charles Leclerc, in an upgraded Ferrari, held off Max Verstappen with a defensive masterclass that would have made Alain Prost proud. Ferrari’s lower downforce setup paid dividends as Leclerc parked his car on the apexes, keeping the Red Bull at bay through the wet opening laps and into the dry.
Leclerc’s fifth podium of the season is a testament to his tenacity, even as he remains caught between gratitude for Ferrari’s progress and frustration that McLaren is still out of reach. The Scuderia’s upgrades, including a new rear suspension geometry, seem to be working—but the orange cars are sailing off into the distance.
As a fierce competitor Leclerc continues being in two minds about this season. He’s grateful Ferrari’s upgrades are working but frustrated that they are not bringing it much closer to McLaren. Schrodinger’s progress.
Motorsport.com
Max Verstappen: The Set-Up Gamble That Didn’t Pay
Max Verstappen, Spa’s local hero and three-time winner, found himself boxed in by circumstance and strategy. Red Bull, haunted by their Silverstone misstep, gambled on a full wet setup. The rain gods, as ever, had other ideas. As the track dried, Verstappen was left stuck behind Leclerc, unable to unleash the RB21’s full potential.
His frustration boiled over post-race, blaming the delayed start and the caution of his peers. But Spa’s recent tragedies have made caution the order of the day, and Verstappen’s bravado—If you can’t see, you can always lift—rang a little hollow in the context.
Race control could have restarted the race earlier, but given the tragic recent history of Spa-Francorchamps, it felt a bit on the nose for Verstappen to suggest drivers who were worried about visibility should just lift instead, even if it was just his frustration pouring out.
Motorsport.com
Red Bull’s new era under Laurent Mekies has yet to yield a silver bullet. Verstappen’s sprint win was a consolation, but on Sunday, he was a spectator to McLaren’s dominance.
Lewis Hamilton: From Pitlane to Points
If you’re looking for a silver lining, Lewis Hamilton’s recovery drive from the pitlane to seventh deserves a mention. After a disastrous qualifying—track limits, anyone?—Hamilton started at the back but made decisive moves as the track dried, vaulting up the order with a new Ferrari engine.
It wasn’t quite Schumacher’s 1995 masterclass from 16th to victory, but it was a reminder that Hamilton’s racecraft remains as sharp as ever. Still, the contrast with Leclerc’s podium was stark, and Ferrari’s new recruit will be hoping for better fortunes as the season heads to Hungary.
The Midfield: Albon, Bortoleto, and the Unsung Heroes
Alex Albon, in an upgraded Williams, delivered a drive that was as cool as the Ardennes breeze. Qualifying fifth and finishing sixth, he held off Hamilton’s Ferrari with the kind of defensive nous that would make Gilles Villeneuve proud. Williams’ upgrades have stopped the rot, at least for now.
Gabriel Bortoleto, meanwhile, grabbed his second points finish for Sauber, outshining his more experienced teammate Hulkenberg. The Brazilian’s rise is one of the season’s quiet success stories.
Liam Lawson brought home valuable points for Racing Bulls, while Pierre Gasly snatched the final point for Alpine. In a race where the midfield was as changeable as the weather, these were drives to savor.
The Losers: Tsunoda, Antonelli, Sainz, and the Rest
Yuki Tsunoda’s weekend promised much—his best qualifying in seventh—but strategic indecision and a late call for slicks left him mired in 13th. Isack Hadjar, after a promising start, was undone by a technical issue and finished a lap down.
Kimi Antonelli’s struggles continued, the Mercedes rookie finishing 16th and close to tears after another bruising weekend. Carlos Sainz, after a strong sprint, saw his race unravel and finished a lowly 18th.
Haas, too, will rue what might have been. Esteban Ocon’s late pit stop and Ollie Bearman’s engine woes consigned them to the wilderness, despite having the pace for points.
The Final Tally: 2025 Belgian Grand Prix Results
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 44 laps |
| 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +3.415s |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +20.185s |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +21.731s |
| 5 | George Russell | Mercedes | +34.863s |
| 6 | Alex Albon | Williams | +39.926s |
| 7 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +40.679s |
| 8 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +52.033s |
| 9 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | +56.434s |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +72.714s |
| … | … | … | … |
Full results and analysis at Crash.net
Spa in Context: History Repeats, But Never the Same
Spa’s 2025 edition joins a long list of Belgian Grands Prix where weather, strategy, and human frailty have rewritten the script. From Schumacher’s 1995 wet-weather masterclass to the farce of 2021, Spa has always been a place where the unexpected is expected.
McLaren’s 12th win at Spa cements their status as the circuit’s second most successful team, behind only Ferrari. Piastri’s calm under fire recalls the greats—Senna, Schumacher, Hamilton—who have all conquered the Ardennes. And as the championship heads to Hungary, the battle between Piastri and Norris looks set to define the season.
For the losers, Spa is a harsh teacher. For the winners, it is a proving ground like no other.
Waste a Bit More Time
- Watch a full emotional recap and analysis of the race on YouTube: The Winners And Losers From The 2025 F1 Belgian Grand Prix
- Read the full breakdown of the winners and losers at Motorsport.com
- Dive into the detailed race results at Crash.net
- For a sharp, sometimes brutal take, see The Race’s Winners and Losers
- Relive the drama and debate on YouTube: The 2025 Belgian Grand Prix was a FARCE!
