Max Verstappen wins the F1 Sprint at the Belgian Grand Prix

Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images

Oscar Piastri grabbed the lead for a moment, but settles for P2 as Verstappen wins again

After a thrilling F1 Sprint Shootout earlier in the day, the drivers and teams are set to take on Spa in what is shaping up to be yet more wet and rainy conditions.

Max Verstappen nipped pole position for the Sprint race by just 0.011 seconds over Oscar Piastri, thanks to a tremendous push in the final straight to take yet another pole.

F1 pushed back the start time of the F1 Sprint Race due to some delays in support races earlier in the day, and further delays were added to the start as heavy rain worked into the region. Weather has been a factor throughout the weekend, as it hampered teams in the single practice session on Friday, as well as Friday’s qualifying session for the Grand Prix.

We will be keeping tabs on everything as the F1 Sprint Race unfolds, so keep coming back early, and often!

All updates are in Eastern time.

F1 Sprint Race Updates

Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Update 12:25: And now we get to hear from Gasly. “It feels amazing, I’m extremely happy to finish in the top three, especially here at Spa,” says Gasly. “I’m extremely happy.”

“I gave it everything,” added Gasly. “I’m just super happy for all the guys.”

Update 12:23: Second-place finisher Piastri is up next. “To lead my first laps was a day I won’t forget,” says Piastri. “I thought the safety car was going to be in my favor, it meant less laps I was going to hold [Verstappen] behind.”

“I’m very happy,” added Piastri. “First top three in a sort-of race, I’ll enjoy it.”

Update 12:21: Verstappen is interviewed first trackside by Naomi Schiff. “I think it was the safer call,” says Verstappen of the decision to stay out for an initial lap. “I could come in first but I might be blocked by cars” adds the driver.

Update 12:17: Here are the provisional points winners:

Verstappen
Piastri
Gasly
Sainz
Leclerc
Norris
Hamilton
Russell

Hamilton’s five-second penalty drops him from P4 to P7, but I would imagine Mercedes appeals that decision.

Update 12:16: Verstappen wins again, but Piastri and Gasly join him on the podium. Redemption for Alpine in what has been a tough week.

Update 12:14: Verstappen is pulling away, now holding a lead over Piastri of nearly six seconds.

Hamilton is running in fourth, and facing a five-second penalty. Sainz is right behind him, and Leclerc is about three seconds behind Hamilton. Norris looks to be anywhere from four to five seconds behind Hamilton, depending on where they are on the track in a given moment.

Update 12:13: Ricciardo and Russell battle for eighth, and Russell finally gets past the AlphaTauri.

Update 12:12: Hamilton has been given a five-second penalty for contact with Pérez.

I would believe Mercedes is going to appeal that, as Pérez seemed to be struggling before the two drivers came together.

Verstappen tells his team that his brakes are going away from him.

Update 12:10: Pérez is going to box, his F1 Sprint is finished.

Russell and Ocon are locked in a battle for ninth, and Ricciardo must love seeing that behind him with three laps to go.

Update 12:09: Hamilton is pushing hard, and is right behind Gasly for third.

Update 12:07: Sergio Pérez is struggling with his RB19. “I have no rear grip” is his message to the team. Sainz and Leclerc have both pushed past him on this lap, and Lando Norris is behind him.

Pérez then goes into the gravel, and both Norris and Ricciardo slide by his RB19.

Update 12:05: Verstappen roars past Piastri on the Kemmel Straight.

As we pointed out in this piece looking at data from the F1 Sprint Shootout, that is where Verstappen was strongest during qualifying earlier in the day.

Update 12:04: Green flag is out, and Piastri gets off to a clean start.

But Verstappen is right behind him.

Update 12:02: Safety car will be in this lap, setting up a six-lap sprint.

Kevin Magnussen radios in that the surface is “drying really fast,” and that there already is a dry line on the track.

You have to think a team at the back might roll the dice on slicks, thinking they have nothing to lose.

Update 12:01: On a radio exchange between Verstappen and his team, the driver is advised that Piastri is already dealing with tyre degradation on his left side. “He’s drifting everywhere” points out the leader in the Drivers’ standings.

Update 11:58: Disaster for Alonso has he has gone into the gravel, and then the wall, at Pouhon. A bitter present on his 42nd birthday.

The yellow flag is up. Will we see more pit stops? Will a team gamble on slicks?

Update 11:57: A reminder that in F1 Sprint races, the top eight drivers finish in the points.

Currently running in ninth? Daniel Ricciardo?

Update 11:55: Piastri currently has a lead of 1.671 seconds over Verstappen as Lap 2 comes to a close.

It is also pointed out on F1TV that there is no DRS in these conditions. That is another advantage for Piastri at the moment, given Red Bull’s strength in DRS zones this season.

Update 11:54: Verstappen pits and comes out behind Piastri. Piastri is in the lead of the F1 Sprint race with ten laps to go.

Update 11:53: The current top five are Verstappen, Leclerc, Norris, Ocon, and Russell. All of the top ten drivers are on the full wets.

Verstappen calls into the team that he needs to “box this lap.”

Update 11:52: Piastri came in for the switch to intermediates, and got out of the pits cleanly.

Update 11:51: The F1 Sprint race is underway, and half of the teams have come in immediately for a switch to the intermediate compound. Verstappen, Leclerc, Hamilton, and Gasly stay out.

Update 11:50: The F1 Sprint race might be decided in the next few moments, with how teams handle things at the start. Do they come in immediately, try a first lap on the full wet compound?

Update 11:49: The safety car will come in on this lap, with a rolling start.

Update 11:48: There will now be a total of six Formation Laps in an effort to clear water off the track.

Update 11:43: Prepare yourself for absolute chaos on pit lane.

F1TV points out that Verstappen has the first pit stall on pit lane, so he will have an advantage at the start, but the tricky part for the leader in the Drivers’ Championship will be finding the right gap to get out of the pit, with 19 cars likely streaming into pit lane behind him.

Update 11:42: Four laps will take place behind the safety car, followed by a rolling start.

Update 11:41: Charles Leclerc makes the point that track conditions might not be the issue when things get underway, but visibility will be the problem:

Update 11:38: As the Formation Lap comes to a close, it’s time for our pre-race tradition.

Opening Titles!

Update 11:36: The Formation Lap is underway.

Sainz is wondering if everyone will dive in at the start to make the switch to the intermediates:

ould get dicey down on pit lane.

Update 11:32: Sam Collins on F1TV makes the case that you might see teams pit twice, to make the switch from the full wets, to the intermediates, and then back again. His reasoning? As soon as they can, the teams will want to switch from the full wet tyres to the intermediates, to gain more speed on the track.

However, the lap times will be slower than they usually are on the full wet compound, and the additional rain that is incoming is moving faster than expected.

That could result in rainy conditions near the end of the F1 Sprint, requiring a switch back to the full wet compound.

Update 11:27: FIA also indicates that the Formation Lap will start behind the safety car.

Update 11:25: FIA indicates that the Formation Lap will start at 17:35 local time. In addition, the teams will be required to start on the full wet compound.

Which driver/team will make the call first to pit for slicks?

Update 11:23: Do not give him any ideas:

Update 11:19: *Insert Tom Holland “Singing in the Rain” lip sync video here:

Update 11:18: Ferrari tells Carlos Sainz Jr. over the radio that they expect the rain to stop in about five minutes, and then there will be an hour of clear skies. Under F1 Sprint rules, today’s race is set for 15 laps with a 60-minute window.

Update 11:17: In case you are wondering what the conditions are like, here you go:

Update 11:12: F1 has delayed the start, and has yet to announce a start time for the F1 Sprint race. Rain is being as a “10 out of 10” by teams like Mercedes: