F1 2025: Belgian GP - Spa-Francorchamps (July 27) - BMW X5, X5M, X6 & X6M Forum (G05/G06)

07-17-2025

F1 2025: Belgian GP - Spa-Francorchamps (July 27)'s user avatar F1 2025: Belgian GP - Spa-Francorchamps (July 27)

An image attached to this post, provided by the poster

Schedule:
https://www.formula1.com/en/racing/2025/belgium
This is a SPRINT weekend
(Start times adjusts automatically to your local time/date depending on your browsers/internet settings)

Circuit:
Spa-Francorchamps

Circuit stats:
First Grand Prix: 1950
Number of Laps: 44
Circuit Length: 7.004 km
Race Distance: 308.052 km
Lap Record: 1:44.701 (Sergio Perez 2024)

Tires:
An image attached to this post, provided by the poster

https://press.pirelli.com/sprint-with-a-jump-in-compounds-in-the-ardennes/

Onboard Lap:
(2024 Max Verstappen pole lap)

2024 thread:
https://www.zpost.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2120977

2024 race highlights:

2024 Lollipopman Comics:

07-17-2025

So what are your predictions?

Last race again showed the power of the McLarens. I think they will be very strong at Spa. However the battle between Piastri and Norris is getting more and more fierce. This year might be their only chance of ever becoming WDC with the big rulechange next year.
Last race we also saw a more insecure Piastri. Trying to trick Max after the safetycar when Max is not really a competitor to him anymore it served no goal and could only have a negative effect (Piastri got a 10sec penalty, but Piastri could've been hit, and/or the falling away of Max in the space between Piastri and Norris only resulted in Norris being closer to Piastri in the race, and not having to overtake Max.
Piastri asking his place back due to the penalty given was another sign that he was very insecure. And Lando Norris of course won.
For the race at Spa I think Max will even have a hard time fighting off both Mercedes cars.

My prediction:

1. PIA
2. NOR
3. RUS
4. VER
5. LEC
6. ANT
7. HAM
8. HAD
9. STR
10. ALO

For people who don't place predictions: please refrain from giving negative comments after the race on predictions other members have given. Nobody makes perfect predictions, and if you don't make predictions yourself, you're not showing you know better.

07-17-2025

1. Hulk

07-17-2025

GuidoK wrote
So what are your predictions?

Last race again showed the power of the McLarens. I think they will be very strong at Spa. However the battle between Piastri and Norris is getting more and more fierce. This year might be their only chance of ever becoming WDC with the big rulechange next year.
Last race we also saw a more insecure Piastri. Trying to trick Max after the safetycar when Max is not really a competitor to him anymore it served no goal and could only have a negative effect (Piastri got a 10sec penalty, but Piastri could've been hit, and/or the falling away of Max in the space between Piastri and Norris only resulted in Norris being closer to Piastri in the race, and not having to overtake Max.
Piastri asking his place back due to the penalty given was another sign that he was very insecure. And Lando Norris of course won.
For the race at Spa I think Max will even have a hard time fighting off both Mercedes cars.

My prediction:

1. PIA
2. NOR
3. RUS
4. VER
5. LEC
6. ANT
7. HAM
8. HAD
9. STR
10. ALO

For people who don't place predictions: please refrain from giving negative comments after the race on predictions other members have given. Nobody makes perfect predictions, and if you don't make predictions yourself, you're not showing you know better.

Thanks for posting . Great job , as usual :thumbsup:

I agree with your prediction , but that will depend on the RB21 upgrades.
I mean , Red Bull is bringing a big upgrade package to Spa-Francorchamps.
So far and as we know , all the RB21 upgrades turned out to be downgrades , so I've lost all faith in it .

Spa-Francorchamps - July 26/27 -

07-18-2025

If it rains substantially which it probably will then it's super MAX all the way for the main race win to reel in the Larens.
2. Charlie
3. Lew
4. Nico
5. Rus.
6. Ollie
7. Alo
8. Lance
Lando and Oscar are out after collision with each other so DNF for them.

07-18-2025

///M Power-Belgium wrote
Thanks for posting . Great job , as usual

I agree with your prediction , but that will depend on the RB21 upgrades.
I mean , Red Bull is bringing a big upgrade package to Spa-Francorchamps.
So far and as we know , all the RB21 upgrades turned out to be downgrades , so I've lost all faith in it .

Spa-Francorchamps - July 26/27 -

Whatever they're gonna do, they better do it fast.

07-18-2025

Nico Hulkenberg's daughter names the drivers...

07-19-2025

I'm going to go with:
1. Oscar
2. Lando
3. Max
4. Nico
5. Nico
6. Nico

07-19-2025

Here we come :cool:

07-19-2025

Killed by Death wrote
Here we come

2-3 tenths is the target with the recalibrated rear trailing arms and a selection of floors to mate to it could make Charlie happier.

07-19-2025

Couldn't help noticing Wolff's disdain when RUS won the race from LEW last year

07-19-2025

M5Rick wrote

Couldn't help noticing Wolff's disdain when RUS won the race from LEW last year

I had to look back to see what you mean, but good catch, indeed his enthusiasm is staggering:

An image attached to this post, provided by the poster

Imagine seeing this as a driver when you gave the team a well needed win....

07-19-2025

M5Rick wrote
Whatever they're gonna do, they better do it fast.

F1 Brakes

07-19-2025

///M Power-Belgium wrote
F1 Brakes

Looks like the calliper is encrusted in diamonds :bulge:

07-19-2025

GuidoK wrote

the only stat that is on Toto's mind: 18 points

Toto will be planning for Kimi (or Colapinto but he's likely too far back) to take out Max

he really needs George to overtake Max in the next 2 races

07-19-2025

M5Rick wrote
Looks like the calliper is encrusted in diamonds

I'm pretty sure , the McLaren brakes have been developed in a cooler way

07-19-2025

///M Power-Belgium wrote
I'm pretty sure , the McLaren brakes have been developed in a cooler way

Still lots of guessing about the brake cooling tracts built onto the papayas but the cooler it is at Spa the better for MAX on the Saturday and Sunday. Remembering that quali spin out crash for Norris there in '21.

07-20-2025

G30M wrote
the only stat that is on Toto's mind: 18 points

Toto will be planning for Kimi (or Colapinto but he's likely too far back) to take out Max

he really needs George to overtake Max in the next 2 races

The Russell Dilemma

An image attached to this post, provided by the poster

07-20-2025

Hm, did The Dutch Demolition Man pave the way for Toto Wolff to reduce RBR resistance to release Max from his RBR contract ?

"Ex-F1 driver claims Christian Horner and Jos Verstappen came to blows before Red Bull exit
Motorsport Week - 18 July 2025
https://www.motorsportweek.com/2025/07/17/ex-f1-driver-claims-christian-horner-and-jos-verstappen-came-to-blows-before-red-bull-exit/
Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher has claimed that Jos Verstappen and Christian Horner were involved in a heated altercation in the Red Bull camp shortly before the latter parted ways with the team.
The British chief was dismissed by the six-time Constructors’ Champions after two decades of service, during which he oversaw multiple title-winning campaigns at the helm of the Austrian outfit.
Horner’s exit came 18 months after he was accused — and twice cleared — of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behaviour by a female employee.
However, his departure is believed to result from a combination of factors, including the team’s recent performance decline, diminishing trust from the Verstappen camp amid Mercedes rumours and questionable decisions made with regards to the second driver.
Amid all this, Verstappen Sr maintained that Horner should have been removed much earlier, with the controversy fueling significant unrest within the team.
In the aftermath of the sacking, Schumacher revealed how he allegedly witnessed a heated exchange involving Verstappen, Horner, and Red Bull’s press officer just days before.
“There was another argument or a heated exchange, at least visually and verbally between Jos Verstappen, Christian Horner and the press officer,” he told the Boxengasse podcast.
“He [Horner] can’t really deal with criticism. [Sky Sports Germany] are, or I am, now, on a so-called black list, so he no longer talks to us or with me and such.
“It’s actually a joke, because a man who has won so much should actually be able to discuss it in front of the camera.”
Schumacher also described Horner as “a bit of a difficult person” who “failed to keep the team together well.”

The story behind Horner and Verstappen Sr’s fallout
The tension between Horner and Verstappen Sr started during the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix weekend.
The dispute took a more personal turn ahead of last year’s Austrian Grand Prix, when Verstappen Sr withdrew from a planned parade of historic F1 cars after learning that Horner had tried to block his participation.
His son weighed in on the incident, calling the situation “not nice, not for myself, not for my dad, not for Christian, not for the team”.
“My dad has been quite clear about the reason behind it. Of course, I can understand his opinion on that, because he got asked to drive the car, then finds out he’s not wanted to drive the car.
“My dad actually doesn’t care about driving the car, but he got asked and [Red Bull Austria] said: ‘Please do it for the fans – Dutch fans, blah, blah, blah’. Red Bull have a great relationship with [the] home track. So I understand.
The incident highlighted the widening rift between Horner and the Verstappen camp, adding fuel to speculation about internal unrest within Red Bull.
Ultimately, Horner’s departure was seen as a move to restore stability and ensure the future success of the team around its championship-winning driver."