Piastri under pressure from Norris (Lap 12/15)
It’s very tight between the top-three, with Norris now just seven-tenths off Piastri, who remains around six-tenths off Verstappen.
Can anyone make a move in the closing 5 laps?
Top-10: Verstappen, Piastri, Norris, Leclerc, Ocon, Sainz, Bearman, Hadjar, Bortoleto, Lawson
Kieran Jackson26 July 2025 11:25
“I can’t brake on the peak!”
Issues for Verstappen at the top of the hill.
Piastri is very close now…
Kieran Jackson26 July 2025 11:22
Verstappen staving off Piastri (Lap 7/15)
Piastri is within DRS range – around seven-tenths down – but can’t get close enough to Verstappen out in front.
Can the Red Bull driver hold on?
Meanwhile, Hamilton down in P16: “I’ve got no rear already.”
Top-10: Verstappen, Piastri, Norris, Leclerc, Ocon, Sainz, Bearman, Hadjar, Bortoleto, Lawson
Kieran Jackson26 July 2025 11:16
Lando Norris takes back third place (Lap 4/15)
Piastri can’t quite squeeze past Verstappen out in front but Norris takes back third place from Leclerc, cruising past on the Kemmel Straight!
The McLarens have such superior speed.
Kieran Jackson26 July 2025 11:10
Verstappen remains in the lead, but Piastri is right on his tail here…
Further back, just one spot made up from Hamilton (now 17th) and Russell (now 12th) at the start.
Top-10: Verstappen, Piastri, Leclerc, Norris, Ocon, Sainz, Beaman, Hadjar, Bortoleto, Lawson
Kieran Jackson26 July 2025 11:08
Piastri keeps the lead at the start but Verstappen takes top spot on the Kemmel Straight!
It almost looked inevitable!
And Leclerc takes Norris for P3! They’re all away smoothly…
(Getty Images)
Kieran Jackson26 July 2025 11:05
This sprint race will be 15 laps long around a circuit with 102m elevation throughout!
Piastri leads the pack away – 18 cars, with both Alpines in the pit-lane – for the long formation lap around Spa-Francorchamps!
Kieran Jackson26 July 2025 11:00
A reminder of the starting grid for the sprint race:
Pit lane. Franco Colapinto
Kieran Jackson26 July 2025 10:58
We’re less than 10 minutes away from the sprint race in Belgium!
Oscar Piastri is on pole and the huge favourite here, but he’ll have a tough job staving off Max Verstappen heading to the short run down to turn 1!
Lando Norris starts in third, with Charles Leclerc fourth.
With George Russell in 13th and Lewis Hamilton in 18th, there should be plenty of action at the back too!
Kieran Jackson26 July 2025 10:53
Gasly is going to have to start the sprint from the pit-lane!
Alpine say Gasly will not start the Belgian Grand Prix sprint race from the grid because of a suspected water leak on his car.
Given he qualified P8, that’s a nightmare for Alpine…
His teammate Franco Colapinto is also in the pits…
Kieran Jackson26 July 2025 10:51