Guide to the 2026 Belgian Grand Prix weekend as the F1 title fight continues to rumble on towards the summer break.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli arrives in Spa-Francorchamps with a 25-point lead in the championship over title rival and Mercedes teammate, George Russell, whilst seven-time champion – Lewis Hamilton is a further seven points behind in third as the trio look to boost their prospects on the iconic circuit.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen meanwhile is racing in his birth country and will be keen to bounce back from a tough ending to his British GP weekend at Silverstone.
Now, here is a full guide to everything that you need to know ahead of the 2026 Belgian GP weekend.
Track Guide
Laps: 44
Race Distance: 308.052km
Tyre Compounds: C2, C3 & C4
Schedule
| Date | Session | Time (BST) |
| Friday 17 July | FP1 | 12:30pm |
| Friday 17 July | FP2 | 4:00pm |
| Saturday 18 July | FP3 | 11:30am |
| Saturday 18 July | Qualifying | 3:00pm |
| Sunday 19 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 parts of the circuit to be wet, yet other parts 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.
- Practice will be critical to understanding energy management and deployment given that many teams expect sector two to have little energy, with focus on saving energy deployment for overtaking in sectors one and three.
- Pirelli are reverting back to the C2 tyre compound as the hardest tyre choice after they opted for the C1 tyre compound in 2025, meaning that an one-stop race strategy looks likely if dry.
Last Time Out
Max Verstappen won the sprint in 2025 with a move on polesitter, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri into Les Combes for the lead on the opening lap, which he subsequently held to the checkered flag.
Piastri’s teammate, Lando Norris however topped GP Qualifying to take pole for the main race but after a rain delay and red-flagged formation lap, Piastri cleared Norris for the lead on lap five and proceeded to take a dominant victory in a McLaren one-two finish.