Max Verstappen ushered in a new chapter for Red Bull by winning a tense and tactical Sprint race at the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix, holding off the persistent challenge of the McLaren duo, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, to claim an important victory at Spa-Francorchamps.
The Sprint contest at Spa was always expected to be a strategic battle, and it was the world champion who made his intentions clear from the opening lap. After losing out to Piastri in qualifying, Verstappen wasted no time, using the slipstream up the Kemmel Straight to power past the McLaren and seize control at Les Combes.
Despite starting on older medium tyres, Verstappen showcased the trademark straight-line speed of his Red Bull to keep Piastri within DRS range, but never truly threatened for position.
Piastri, looking to build on his Sprint pole, tracked Verstappen relentlessly for all 15 laps, at times narrowing the gap to less than a second. His closest opportunity came at Turn 5 as the McLaren drew up to the Red Bull’s gearbox, but the Australian found no way through, later admitting the top speed advantage made it nearly impossible to challenge.
Norris and Leclerc Feature in Midfield Duel
While the focus was firmly on the battle at the front, the contest for the podium was equally fierce. Norris lost third to Charles Leclerc on the opening lap, but the McLaren driver soon regained the position by taking advantage of his superior drive on the Kemmel Straight. Norris then set about chasing the leading pair, but, much like his teammate, could not make an impression as Verstappen and Piastri broke away from the rest.
Leclerc, unable to maintain the pace of the top three, slipped to a distant fourth, while Esteban Ocon and Carlos Sainz held steady for Haas and Williams, finishing fifth and sixth respectively. Haas rookie Oliver Bearman delivered a solid drive to claim seventh, and Isack Hadjar completed the points for Racing Bulls, comfortably ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto and Liam Lawson.
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The race also marked a significant milestone for Red Bull as new team principal Laurent Mekies began his tenure with a win, following the dramatic departure of Christian Horner after the British Grand Prix.
Further down the order, Mercedes’ George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli were left frustrated, unable to carve their way through the DRS train after challenging qualifying sessions. Lewis Hamilton salvaged a few positions to finish 15th for Ferrari, but it was another difficult afternoon for the seven-time champion.
Mechanical issues thwarted Pierre Gasly, who was unable to start from his deserved grid slot due to a water leak, turning the Sprint into an extended test run for Alpine.
As qualifying for Sunday’s main race approaches, all eyes remain on the title fight between Piastri and Norris, with Piastri extending his lead to nine points. But with Verstappen back in winning form and Red Bull showing resilience amid internal change, the Spa weekend promises more drama yet.
