Oscar Piastri heads into the Belgian Grand Prix a Formula 1 grand prix winner following his stunning performance last weekend.
Only it wasn’t without controversy, caused by team-mate Lando Norris and a questionable strategic call by McLaren.
A conservative approach to seeing off the challenge posed by Lewis Hamilton forced the use of team orders to re-establish the natural order of things with Piastri in the lead.
But that didn’t sit well with Norris, who made no secret of his desire to put himself above McLaren.
Of course, he eventually relented and Piastri went on to win, but it creates a fascinating dynamic in the garage; where once there was harmony, there is now an undertone of suspicion, even it’s not publicly acknowledged.
The other important development out of the Hungarian Grand Prix was that Red Bull Racing no longer being the clear favourite.
It was second best all weekend to McLaren, and heading to Spa-Francorchamps it cannot be assumed the Milton Keynes team will be the class of the field. That marks a significant deviation from the norm of recent seasons.
How does the championship leading team respond? Can it respond? They’re important questions in the context of the constructors’ title, and the millions of dollars that go with it.
They also feed into the other key point of interest, which is the fate of Sergio Perez.
There was a mildly improved showing in Hungary, rising from a poor 16th on the grid to seventh, but it was still hardly enough as Red Bull Racing had chunks taken out of its points advantage by McLaren.
The under performing Mexican is no longer a potential cause for a concern, his lack of return is now a liability.
This weekend’s race is thought to be a watershed moment for his career. He simply must improve else Red Bull will have no choice but to look elsewhere for the good of the championship.
The knock is is what that means for Daniel Ricciardo, Yuki Tsunoda, and by extension Liam Lawson in what could very well be a high-profile game of mid-season dominos.
All told, it makes for a critical weekend across a number of key areas as F1 goes racing for the final time before its summer break.
When is the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix
| FRIDAY 26th JULY | Local time | AEST | |
| FIA Formula 3 | Practice Session | 09:55 – 10:40 | 17:55 – 18:40 |
| FIA Formula 2 | Practice Session | 11:05 – 11:50 | 19:05 – 19:50 |
| FORMULA 1 | FIRST PRACTICE SESSION | 13:30 – 14:30 | 21:30 – 22:30 |
| FIA Formula 3 | Qualifying Session | 15:05 – 15:35 | 23:05 – 23:35 |
| FIA Formula 2 | Qualifying Session | 16:00 – 16:30 | 00:00 – 00:30 |
| FORMULA 1 | SECOND PRACTICE SESSION | 17:00 – 18:00 | 01:00 – 02:00 |
| Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup | Practice Session | 18:45 – 19:30 | 02:45 – 03:30 |
| SATURDAY 27th JULY | |||
| FIA Formula 3 | Sprint Race (12 Laps or 40 Mins +1 Lap) | 09:50 – 10:35 | 17:50 – 18:35 |
| Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup | Qualifying Session | 11:20 – 11:50 | 19:20 – 19:50 |
| FORMULA 1 | THIRD PRACTICE SESSION | 12:30 – 13:30 | 20:30 – 21:30 |
| FIA Formula 2 | Sprint Race (18 Laps or 45 Mins +1 Lap) | 14:15 – 15:05 | 22:15 – 23:05 |
| FORMULA 1 | QUALIFYING SESSION | 16:00 – 17:00 | 00:00 – 01:00 |
| SUNDAY 28th JULY | |||
| FIA Formula 3 | Feature Race (15 Laps or 45 Mins +1 Lap) | 08:30 – 09:20 | 16:30 – 17:20 |
| FIA Formula 2 | Feature Race (25 Laps or 60 Mins +1 Lap) | 10:00 – 11:05 | 18:00 – 19:05 |
| Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup | Race (12 Laps or 30 Mins) | 11:45 – 12:20 | 19:45 – 20:20 |
| FORMULA 1 | GRAND PRIX (44 LAPS OR 120 MINS) | 15:00 – 17:00 | 23:00 – 01:00 |
How can I watch the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix
- Channel: Fox Sports 506
Fox Sports is the only broadcaster carrying coverage of the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix.
There is no free-to-air coverage or highlights of the event in Australia.
Are there live updates I can follow from the Belgian Grand Prix
Speedcafe will carry live updates of all F1 sessions across the weekend with commentary, facts, and insight into the event as it unfolds.
Friday, July 26
Practice 1, 21:00 AEST
Fox Sports (Channel 506), Kayo Sports
Saturday, July 27
Practice 2, 00:45 AEST
Fox Sports (Channel 506), Kayo Sports
Practice 3, 20:15 AEST
Fox Sports (Channel 506), Kayo Sports
Qualifying, 23:55 AEDT
Fox Sports (Channel 506), Kayo Sports
Sunday, July 28
Race, 22:55 AEDT
Fox Sports (Channel 506), Kayo Sports
Can I stream the Belgian Grand Prix?
The Belgian Grand Prix will be broadcast live on subscription streaming services Foxtel Go and Kayo.
What tyre compounds are in use at the Belgian Grand Prix?
What is the weather for the Belgian Grand Prix?
Entry List
| Num | Driver | Team | ||
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | ||
| 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing | ||
| 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | ||
| 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | ||
| 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | ||
| 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | ||
| 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | ||
| 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | ||
| 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | ||
| 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | ||
| 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | ||
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | ||
| 23 | Alex Albon | Williams | ||
| 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | ||
| 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB | ||
| 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB | ||
| 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | ||
| 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | ||
| 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | ||
| 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | ||
Drivers’ Championship
| Pos | Driver | Pts | |
| 1 | Max Verstappen | 265 | |
| 2 | Lando Norris | 189 | |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | 162 | |
| 4 | Carlos Sainz | 154 | |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | 149 | |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | 125 | |
| 7 | Sergio Perez | 124 | |
| 8 | George Russell | 116 | |
| 9 | Fernando Alonso | 45 | |
| 10 | Lance Stroll | 24 | |
| 11 | Nico Hulkenberg | 22 | |
| 12 | Yuki Tsunoda | 22 | |
| 13 | Daniel Ricciardo | 11 | |
| 14 | Pierre Gasly | 6 | |
| 15 | Oliver Bearman | 6 | |
| 16 | Kevin Magnussen | 5 | |
| 17 | Alex Albon | 4 | |
| 18 | Esteban Ocon | 3 | |
| 19 | Zhou Guanyu | 0 | |
| 20 | Logan Sargeant | 0 | |
| 21 | Valtteri Bottas | 0 | |
Constructors’ Championship
| Pos | Constructor | Pts | |
| 1 | Red Bull Racing | 389 | |
| 2 | McLaren | 338 | |
| 3 | Ferrari | 322 | |
| 4 | Mercedes | 241 | |
| 5 | Aston Martin | 69 | |
| 6 | RB | 33 | |
| 7 | Haas | 27 | |
| 8 | Alpine | 9 | |
| 9 | Williams | 4 | |
| 10 | Sauber | 0 | |
Discussion about this post