THE GRAND PrixVIEW: BELGIAN GP
Eurosummer continues with Formula One arriving at the icon that is the Circuit de Spa - Francorchamps for the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix. With the championship heating up and a starting grid full of penalties, Spa could provide 44 laps of what F1 fans love… Chaos!
Spa-Francorchamps sits as one of the longest tracks on the calendar at 7.004km with elevation changes of 102.2m, and considered by most as the ultimate test of the car set up. The track is split with sectors 1 and 3 being high speed straights, where the straight line speed of the car is crucial. Sector 2 however features more highly technical high downforce twist through the belgian hills.
This year with the introduction of the new regulations, the FIA have introduced five straight mode zones: 3 in sector 1 and 2 in sector 3, making it the highest number of the season. SPA will be the ultimate test of these regulations due to the tracks huge power demands. Drivers including Alonso, Verstappen and Piastri have noted that there is a danger of the battery ‘clipping’ because the long straights of the first and third sectors completely drain the cars battery, with the cars suffering from ‘severe clipping’, meaning that the track speeds will be significantly slower than last year.
Oscar Piastri and Sergio Perez hold the records for absolute track record (1:40.510) and official Grand Prix Race lap record (1:44.701) respectfully. The pole position time of Antonelli sits at 1:44.361 sitting significantly slower than Piastri’s record, but displayed a masterclass in exploiting the 2026 regulations.
SPA-Francorchamps is one of the ultimate temples of speed and is one of a handful on tracks on the calendar that has been part of F1 history since the inaugural 1950 season. The iconic corner complex of Eau Rouge/ Raidillon is one of the most famous of the season and really showcases the drivers skill. The cars plunge downhill before launching blind over a steep, uphill right hander. Michael Schumacher still holds the record of most race wins at the track with 6 victories, with Lewis Hamilton holding the same number in pole positions. Making these drivers the ‘Kings of the Ardennes’.
This weekend sees the starting grid shake up due to engine penalties for both Lando Norris and Isaac Hadjar meaning fans will hopefully see a lot of movement through the pack for these drivers to get back up to position. Championship leader Antonelli is up front with Max Verstappen joining him on the front row after an incredible strategy call by Red Bull to use Hadjar as a tow. Fellow Mercedes Russell is promoted to 3rd on the grid after penalties and will be aiming to hunt down his championship rival teammate off the start line. The top 10 also features the Ferarris of Leclerc and Hamilton, with the Racing Bull of rookie Arvid Lindblad reaching his highest qualifying to date with a 7th place start.
This weekend Pirelli have provided the C2 (Hard white wall) C3 (Medium yellow wall) and C4 (soft red wall) tyre compounds with the hard tyre being a step softer than in previous Belgian GP’s meaning managing tyre degradation will be a key strategy call. In SPA’s gone by a 2 stop tends to be the safest bet, however some teams could try and go for a risky 1 stop , but with the 2026 cars struggling to get the hard compounds up to temp, this may not reap the rewards of track postion. Safety cars and weather could also come into play with a 64% chance of safety cars at SPA and a track microclimate where ever present rain clouds loom on the hills.
Whatever happens during the race, SPA always delivers.
