F1 2025 | Belgian Grand Prix Sprint Race Recap

Max Verstappen takes Belgian Grand Prix 2025 Sprint win

Racing in their team’s history for the first time without their former team principal Christian Horner, Max Verstappen made sure to give Red Bull the perfect start to the weekend as the reigning world champion won the Belgian Grand Prix 2025 Sprint race with Verstappen taking home his 12th career Sprint win after starting P2. Pole sitter Oscar Piastri finished second ahead of teammate Lando Norris with McLaren unable to match or catch Verstappen. 

Even though pole sitter Oscar Piastri got a good start off the line, it was Verstappen beside him with an even better one and even though Verstappen didn’t pick him off around the outside at Turn 1, heading into Turn 2 on the straight, Verstappen sailed past Piastri to take the lead of the race on the opening lap itself. It was double whammy for McLaren as Lando Norris in P3 also lost a spot on the opening lap to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Norris took P3 back from leclerc on lap 4 as but his teammate in front was unable to get past a quick Red Bull. 

Further down the grid, after a disastrous qualifying, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli got his first overtake down on lap 5 as the young Italian moved up to P17 getting past Nico Hülkenberg and slotted behind Lewis Hamilton, another driver who had a horrible Sprint qualifying. That though was about it as the race saw little to no action in the midfield and lower midfield for the remainder of the race. Up ahead, Verstappen was just getting away from Piastri while the Australian had his teammate, Norris, catching up behind him. 

As the final five laps came in for the Sprint, the top three remained the same as the two McLarens led by Piastri were trying to get Verstappen for the win while Leclerc and Haas’ Esteban Ocon were a bit detached from the top three as the other two cars in the top five. Despite Piastri’s best efforts to push Verstappen, the McLaren was unable to retake the lead of the race and neither was Norris, who had the fastest time on the track, able to get ahead of his teammate. Verstappen held on for a strong Sprint race win, while Piastri finished second ahead of his teammate. 

Others who finished in the points in the Sprint race were Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, Haas’ Esteban Ocon, Carlos Sainz, Ollie Bearman and VCARB’s Isack Hadjar with Haas being the only team other than McLaren to score double points in the Sprint. The action will be back again later on today as the grid gears up for the Belgian Grand Prix 2025 qualifying session.