Guide to the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix as F1 heads to Spa Francorchamps, Belgium, looking to enter the summer break on a high.
Following a below-par Hungarian GP, Max Verstappen arrives at his birthplace home race looking to bounce back after McLaren’s Lando Norris trimmed his lead to 76 points in the title race.
Spa Francorchamps however isn’t an easy track given its twisty nature and unpredictable weather, which lays the potential for a thrilling end to the first-half of the season.
Now, here is a full guide to everything that you need to know ahead of 2024 Belgian GP weekend.
Track Guide
Circuit: Spa Francorchamps
Laps: 44
Race Distance: 308.052km
Tyre Compounds: C2, C3 & C4
Schedule
| Date | Session | Time (BST) |
| Friday 26 July | FP1 | 12:30pm |
| Friday 26 July | FP2 | 4:00pm |
| Saturday 27 July | FP3 | 11:00am |
| Saturday 27 July | Qualifying | 3:30pm |
| Sunday 28 July | Race | 2:00pm |
Five Key Pointers
- Straight-line speed will be key around Spa Francorchamps given the many straights spread across the circuit, although cornering and braking will just be as crucial to nailing the perfect lap.
- Teams will need to be wary of potential for mixed track conditions if rain sweeps in because there is potential for half of the circuit to be wet, yet other half completely dry and affect strategy calls.
- One-stop strategies have often been favoured in dry races around Spa Francorchamps in recent years, but pit stop timing could well be crucial if safety car is deployed at any point.
- After a difficult Hungarian GP with a lack of pace, Red Bull will be keen to bounce back if can sort out their setup and speed issues.
- With rumours over his future still swirling around the paddock, Sergio Perez needs a clean consistent weekend if he wants to keep his Red Bull seat.
Last Time Out
In 2023, Verstappen overcame Oscar Piastri in wet-to-dry conditions to take victory in the Sprint Race, before he took a more dominant victory in the GP from sixth on the grid with a race-winning move on Perez on Lap 17.