Summary

  • Norris takes pole position, Piastri 2nd, Leclerc 3rd

  • Hamilton and Antonelli out in first session

  • Verstappen wins sprint race after overtaking Piastri on first lap

  • Laurent Mekies' first race as Red Bull boss after sacking of Christian Horner

  • Listen to BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 commentary at top of page from the Belgium Grand Prix from Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps

  • Sprint format explained

  • Get involved #bbcf1

Live Reporting

Gary Rose

  1. Oscar Piastri is bringing the gap down to Max Verstappen and it is currently at around three tenths. Lando Norris is also getting a bit closer to Piastri too - seven tenths between them.

  2. 'Nose to tail up and down the field'

    Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent at Spa-Francorchamps

    Verstappen leads Piastri at the Belgian Sprint GPGetty Images

    What's interesting at the moment is how close the field is, there's hardly no gap that is more than two seconds, apart from Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris now, between any of the cars in the field.

    They are basically nose to tail pretty much. One of the things to watch out for at the battle of the front is that Oscar Piastri is managing to stay with Max Verstappen very easily.

    What usually happens as races go on is that Red Bull uses its tyres more than the McLaren, and that is going to be even more the case as you would expect because the Red Bull seems to be running less wing than the McLaren for this event.

    If Piastri can stay this close, it may be that as Verstappen's tyres wear out he can mount more of a challenge in the last few laps.

  3. Get Involved

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    David: Would it have been worth reverting Hamilton’s car back to the previous rear suspension and starting from the pit lane given he wasn’t comfortable with the new one?

  4. Eight laps in and Lewis Hamilton complains that he's "got no rear already". He's got Kimi Antonelli closing in on him.

  5. Lewis Hamilton's car during the sprint at SpaGetty Images

    Another gain by Lewis Hamilton and he is up to 16th, but it is pretty slow progress and the top 10 still looks some way off.

  6. A bit of a lull at the moment as Oscar Piastri is asked how his tyres are doing and he says they are OK - potentially managing them before a push in the final few laps.

  7. 'Verstappen running low downforce setup'

    Damon Hill
    1996 world champion on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Max Verstappen leads Oscar Piastri at the Belgian GPGetty Images

    Max Verstappen is having to gamble because the car has not got the speed of the McLarens through the corners. He's running a low downforce setup which works well here at Spa because it makes it very difficult for the driver behind, even with DRS.

  8. Lando Norris wrestles back third place as he picks off Charles Leclerc on the run down to Turn Five, so he's back behind his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri.

    Further up the road, Max Verstappen is managing the gap and keeping it at around six tenths.

  9. Harry Benjamin
    BBC F1 Commentator

    We've got old school gravel here which is why people like this track, it punishes you if you run wide, but also it flicks up gravel onto the track and that can be detrimental for those behind.

  10. Both McLaren drivers were told to cool the power unit so perhaps not going full pelt at it, although Oscar Piastri just put in the fastest lap.

  11. Lewis Hamilton in his car during the sprint race at SpaPA Media

    Lewis Hamilton gained a place at the start but still has plenty of work to do as he is down in 17th.

  12. Damon Hill
    1996 world champion on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    That was kind of the cards wasn't it as I was saying before, the long run up to Turn Five just provides an opportunity to the driver in the draft, that was Max Verstappen.

    Oscar Piastri went right over to the right, there was lots of dust being flown up so the people behind were getting lost in that, but Verstappen moved over to the left, swept round and late braking on the racing line.

  13. Verstappen leads Piastri at the Belgian GPGetty Images

    Max Verstappen worked the slipstream beautifully and it was an effortless overtake. Charles Lelcerc also made his move at the same time.

    Verstappen's lead is now up to six tenths.

  14. Lando Norris was also picked off at the start and he's now behind Charles Leclerc in fourth.

  15. Verstappen leads

    But Max Verstappen has the pace on the straight and the slipstream and he sweeps around the outside of Oscar Piastri and into the race lead!

  16. Go! Go! Go!

    The field start the race at the Belgium GPGetty Images

    Away we go! Good start by Oscar Piastri and he fends off the fight from Max Verstappen into Turn One.

  17. Weather update for the sprint race

    Ian Fergusson
    BBC weather forecaster

    Air temp is 21.1 degrees & track 37.4 degrees. Light NW wind. Dry; FIA official risk of rain is 0 percent.

  18. Off they go on the formation lap - 18 cars with Franco Colapinto starting in the pit lane and Pierre Gasly not starting the race - although he may get out for some laps.

  19. 'In for a fun one here'

    Damon Hill
    1996 world champion on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    We are going to be in for a fun one here, there are some unlikely candidates up in the top 10 which has made this very interesting. The people we get used to expecting up there, the trio of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris split by Max Verstappen, that situation is normal.

    We've got Norris for his championship hopes, he's got a bit of a problem, he's got to get past Verstappen again but can Piastri hold on to the lead?

  20. It is mediums across the board apart from Franco Colapinto, who has softs bolted on for his pit-lane start.