Belgian Grand Prix 2025: How to watch, schedule and more as Red Bull completes first race since Christian Horner exit

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The halfway point of the 2025 Formula 1 season is now here, with an earlier trip to Spa Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix.

This is usually a race that is held after the summer break as F1 enters the tail end of the summer swing, but it is being held earlier this year as part of the regional grouping.

It is also the last year of Spa’s current contract before it enters the new contract, which will see it alternate for two years in 2028 and 2030.

Lando Norris enters the race knowing he needs to close the gap to Oscar Piastri in the title race, with just eight points separating them.

A win in this weekend’s Sprint and the Grand Prix for Norris would put him either ahead or level on points with Piastri, assuming the Australian finishes second on both occasions.

Ferrari brings its much-anticipated car upgrade to Spa, which should help Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in the races, after they were forced to work around a specific limitation exposed by their disqualification at the Chinese Grand Prix earlier this year.

Then there is the big story during the mini-break, which was the sacking of Christian Horner and how Red Bull will fare without him for the first time in 20 years.

What happened at last year’s Belgian Grand Prix?

Last year’s Belgian Grand Prix looked like a strategic masterstroke for Mercedes’ George Russell, before his car failed a post-race inspection for being under the 798kg minimum weight limit.

It was the first time in 20 years that a car had fallen foul of the regulation, ironically happening at the Belgian GP in 1994 when Michael Schumacher failed to meet the minimum weight, and Damon Hill was crowned the winner while waiting in an airport.

Lewis Hamilton was promoted to first to cap off Mercedes’ run of summer success in 2024, with Oscar Piastri second and Charles Leclerc third.

First race for Red Bull without Christian Horner

It is the first race without Christian Horner for Red Bull after the team elected to sack the team principal following poor performance on track.

It might be a ruthless decision by the team, but it follows the power struggle that has been going on in the background and the chance that Max Verstappen could leave to join Mercedes.

Verstappen’s camp wanted Horner to relinquish some of his duties at the head of Red Bull, favouring a similar structure to McLaren who have found success in recent years.

Now Laurent Mekies takes the helm after doing a good job replacing Franz Tost at Racing Bulls, who was also in his post for 18 years before being replaced at the end of 2022.

READ MORE: Who is Laurent Mekies? Everything you need to know about Red Bull’s newly appointed team principal

How can I watch the Belgian Grand Prix on TV?

F1 fans in the UK can watch the race and all of the weekend’s sessions on Sky Sports F1. Highlights will be shown on Channel 4.

What is the weather forecast for the Belgian Grand Prix?

Friday 25th July – FP1 and Sprint Qualifying: The weather at Spa is unique due to the elevation change and it being one of the longest tracks on the calendar. It looks like the weekend will start off wet, with a 31% chance of rain hitting FP1. As the day progresses, there will be chances of light rain, with Sprint Qualifying currently predicted to be a 33% chance of rain.

Saturday 26th July – Sprint Race and Qualifying: The 15-lap shootout sees a 25% chance of rain, with wind speeds set to be higher than Friday which might catch out some of the teams on car setup. The threat of rain increases as the day goes on, with it at a 40% chance for Grand Prix qualifying.

Sunday 27th July – Race: Sunday will be the best day in terms of weather, with just an 11% threat of rain and temperatures reaching highs of 21 degrees centigrade.