Preview Belgian GP | Will Verstappen humiliate the competition again?

Will Red Bull Racing be beaten at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit? The honest answer is: without a setback, the Austrian team - with Max Verstappen at the wheel - will also win the Belgian Grand Prix next weekend. The Dutch World championship leader has been virtually unbeatable all season, and the track in the Ardennes has all the ingredients to continue his winning streak.

Undoubtedly, many people still remember Verstappen's demonstration in Spa last season. Due to a change of various power unit parts and the gearbox, he started from 14th place. The Belgian-born Verstappen stormed through the field, eventually crossing the finish line more than 17 seconds ahead of teammate Sergio Perez. It was one of those days when everything was right: Verstappen was in top form, and his Red Bull seemed to be on rails.

Ending the first half of the season

The RB19 is an improved version of the RB18 from 2022 and almost seems made for the historic Spa-Francorchamps. If Verstappen doesn't have to get through the field first - and there are no indications for that - then the gap could actually be even bigger than a year ago. Moreover, encouraged by thousands of Dutchmen dressed in orange, Verstappen can and wants to crown a perfect first half of the season with another victory.

Behind Verstappen (and possibly Perez), the McLarens also look forward to the battle in Belgium with great pleasure. Lando Norris, whose mother is from Belgium, was the best behind Verstappen in the past two races. After the upgrades, McLaren found the speed and the track characteristics in Wallonia should suit the team from Woking. Still, it will be tight: Ferrari expect to do better in Spa than at the Hungaroring (although it doesn't take much for that), and Mercedes wants to get a firmer grip on second place in the championship. Aston Martin want revenge after another difficult past weekend in Hungary.

Like almost every year, the weather can also provide the necessary surprises this season. Most rain is expected on Friday (the qualifying day because of the sprint race format), and Saturday and Sunday will probably also be wet. Verstappen himself will not immediately lose sleep over it, but a slide is easily made at Spa. Although it remains to be seen whether the sessions will continue as planned in bad weather conditions. Click here to see the full weather forecast.

Safety at Spa first

Recently, the Dutchman Dilano van 't Hoff was tragically killed during a race in the pouring rain. Soon there was criticism from Formula 1 about the fact that that race had started again in the first place. It, therefore, seems certain: as soon as there is any doubt about the safety of the drivers, the F1 drivers will not take to the track.

As an extra, Formula 1 offers fans a sprint race just before the summer break. If (light) rain is also expected on Saturday, this might cause a sensational event. Who is the favourite for that Sprint? Click for the full session times this weekend. Well, who else could that be than Max Verstappen…