The 2025 Belgian GP kicks off the second half of the F1 season. The 3rd sprint weekend of the year will kick start a triple header of races after 2 weeks of rest for the teams and fans. With the title race heating up, Spa will certainly prove to be an interesting weekend.

The first half of the season saw several twists and turns and unexpected surprises for everyone, with numerous driver changes in the teams and the surprise sacking of Christian Horner by Red Bull. Surprisingly, the biggest rumor is that Max Verstappen is planning to join Mercedes from next season. In all this chaos, the title race is heating up between the McLaren drivers.

The Spa Francorchamps circuit is a favorite amongst the drivers and they’ll hope to get the best out of the weekend. Let’s dive into the preview of the 2025 Belgian GP.

Key Storylines for the 2025 Belgian GP

1.    How will Red Bull Fare without Horner?

The 2025 Belgian GP will be the 1^st race where Red Bull will not have Horner on the pit wall. Horner was relieved from his role as Team Principal after the British GP. Under the reign of the 52-year-old, Red Bull won 8 drivers’ championships alongside 6 constructors’ titles. Laurent Mekies will now be the new team principal from the Belgian GP.

2.    Future of Verstappen

During the British GP, there were rumors all around about Verstappen’s future at Red Bull. The change in Team Principal will further add to this. However, the relationship between Verstappen and Horner was not always the best, so it’ll be fascinating how things pan out.

3.    The Championship Battle

There are a lot of things going off track, and the title battle has gone under the radar during the last two weeks. However, it is the fault of the McLaren duo as they have always maintained a low profile of their championship run. The 2025 Belgian GP could see a change, and a high-intensity battle may take place this weekend.

Bold Predictions for the 2025 Belgian GP

1.    Pole Position for the Race: Lando Norris

Lando Norris has always been super quick in Spa. There are expectations for Ferrari, Red Bull, and the wet conditions may suit Mercedes. However, Lando may have a slight edge and form going into qualifying after back to back impressive weekends for the British driver.

2.    Race Winner: Oscar Piastri

I am going with Oscar Piastri to win the Belgian GP. The changing weather conditions may change the race dynamics, and he might get lucky finally in the rain this season. And after not winning the past 2 races, Piastri will want to win the 2025 Belgian GP.

3.    Biggest Surprise: Charles Leclerc

Ferrari will be getting some important upgrades this weekend, and the team looks quite optimistic. After a bad weekend, Leclerc usually bounces back, and I think he will have a great weekend in Spa. However, the rain may spoil his party, and he might once again struggle in the wet.

4.    Biggest Flop: Max Verstappen

Red Bull is one of the favorites going into Spa, but the change in key team members may hamper the team. However, we’ve seen that the Dutch driver only focuses on racing, but this time things might be different, and he may have another poor weekend this year.

2025 Belgian GP Timings

1. Practice 1: 4:00 PM on 25^th July
2. Sprint Qualifying: 8:00 PM on 25^th July
3. Sprint: 3:30 PM on 26^th July
4. Qualifying: 7:30 PM on 26^th July
5. Race: 6:30 PM on 27^th July