Motorsport Week offers its own unique take on the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix, as this year’s instalment is set to take place this weekend.
Ah, the Ardenne Forest. A microclimate and home to one of Formula 1’s most iconic “old school” circuits: Spa-Francorchamps. Over four miles of glorious asphalt make up this pièce de résistance of a track, featuring corners like Eau Rouge and Radillion. Spoken in the same breath as Suzuka, Silverstone and Monza, the circuit remains as challenging today as it did 60 years ago, though thankfully with more barriers as opposed to sheer drops.
Drivers love it, for good reason. It has something called “gravel”, a collection of stones that trap cars if they run wide. Much like Silverstone, Spa puts an onus on driver skill. One false move on this circuit will end your race. It is respected, for equal reasons, as it has cost one driver his life back in 2019. Antoine Hubert’s accident is always at the forefront of everyone’s mind, and it continues to shape the future of Motorsport safety.
Returning to this edition of the Belgian Grand Prix, there is a lot to look forward to. Like an exquisite Belgian pastry, this year’s race has multiple layers to unpack, with the added bonus of rain acting as scrumptious icing. Dry weather is the most likely prospect given the heatwave gripping Europe, but never underestimate Spa’s ability to throw a wet race at a moment’s notice.
But what are the other stories gripping the paddock?
Antonelli versus Russell: A Mercedes circuit?
Spa, on paper, is a circuit that should suit the characteristics of the W17—a power circuit with massively long straights that will reward its horsepower advantage. The long run down the hill down to Eau Rouge and the Kemmel Straight alone make this Mercedes’ race to lose. Throw in the heavy reliance on battery deployment, and there is a high chance that Mercedes will scurry off into the distance.
Which of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli will be the lead Mercedes, however, remains to be seen. Both will enter the weekend with, in their eye, something to prove. Silverstone did go to plan for either driver – though it has to be said for one more than the other.
Let’s start with Antonelli. His Sunday afternoon in the Silverstone sun turned into a nightmare worse than discovering Freddy Krueger is your opponent at Wimbledon, with knives substituted for balls. In this scenario, the wheel shield acted as a metaphorical blade that savaged his race. His reluctance to retire the car and keep going could well be seen as an act of self-preservation, but also as immolation.
Continuing with a broken car and running wide constantly, incurring a time penalty for track limits violations, all but ended his hopes for points thanks to the late Safety Car. A more measured approach is needed from the young Italian as F1 enters the business end of the year.
Then there’s Russell. Comfortably outclassed by Antonelli all weekend, he was lucky to walk away with second place at the chequered flag on Sunday, when fourth looked like the best-case scenario. His teammate’s retirement has lowered his points deficit to the top of the standings to 25 points, but he cannot rely on fortune to intervene and act as a leveller.
Spa presents Russell with the opportunity to make his own luck and take the fight to Antonelli in a straight fight – a feat not seen since Canada. The Briton tends to perform well in Belgium, so if there was ever a race to stamp his authority on the 2026 title race, it’s this one. Sparks may fly this weekend, and I’m not just talking about the cars scraping the ground out of Eau Rouge!
McLaren preparing for Belgian blunder?
Lando Norris said that McLaren is a long way from victory at present, and Spa looks set to exacerbate that problem. The circuit’s characteristics look set to expose the MCL40’s shortcomings.
Ferrari has out-developed McLaren in the first half of the season, and Belgium looks set to expose that gap further, with the podium a distant pipe dream unless a dramatic incident occurs. The team brought no major upgrades for Silverstone, and is now behind its rivals, and that’s before the MCL40 takes to the track in its current form.
Whilst the Kemmel Straight and blasts through Stavelot and Blanchimont will aid the W17, the MCL40 will suffer badly. Shorter gear ratios and high drag threaten to leave it a sitting duck on the straights, a factor that its strengths through downforce-dependent corners are unlikely to remedy.
In short, Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri are in for a long, difficult and frustrating weekend. Norris seemed incredulous at how he secured fourth at Silverstone, having lacked pace all afternoon. Both he and Piastri face a near-impossible task in Belgium: maximising the MCL40’s potential.
Red Bull scrutiny
Of course, there is one elephant-sized issue that will dominate headlines in Spa: the ongoing Max Verstappen contract saga. Some say he’s retiring, others [like Motorsport Monday] have heard he’s off to McLaren. Needless to say, this is a story that will not go away.
Red Bull will want to bury this story as deep as a squirrel buries its favourite nut. The team ideally will push for its focus to be on its on-track performance, but here too it encounters a few problems. Verstappen’s retirement in Silverstone fuelled an already burning fire, and is now becoming unstoppable.
The rumours of what meetings have taken place or been cancelled aside, Spa represents one of the final chances for Red Bull to demonstrate they can keep Verstappen on side. A retirement at Spa would be nothing short of a disaster for both parties.
Expect smiles, PR laden statements such as “we’re focused on this year/the job”, and no talk whatsoever of contracts or escape clauses. The problem is, the whole situation has become a bit like a breakup you’ve accidentally found yourself watching up close – the more you try not to look away, the more invested you become. The best remedy for this rapidly unfolding situation: give Verstappen a reliable weekend. It may not silence the situation, but it might just give a rest bite.
READ MORE – McLaren – the oven-ready team for Max Verstappen?
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