The F1 schedule moves to Hungary after the intense Belgian Grand Prix. The usual mix of sunshine and heavy rain at Spa-Francorchamps produced significant changes in our power rankings during the weekend. From a surprise middle field surge to top contenders losing ground, the rain-delayed race produced some movement in our rankings ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest.
Here’s the rundown as we prepare for the race ahead of a three-week break.
1. Oscar Piastri | McLaren
The victory at Spa established Oscar Piastri as the clear driver’s championship frontrunner, winning his sixth race of the season and expanding his lead over Lando Norris to 16 points. The start of Sunday brought immediate success as he seized the first-place position from Norris during the initial lap. We were impressed by his long lead expansion to 9.1 seconds as he maintained high lap times on the medium Pirelli tires. Piastri’s dominant performance at Belgium followed his excellent P2 finish at Silverstone before a penalty was given to him for erratic driving, which left him fuming and motivated.
2. Lando Norris | McLaren
Lando Norris secured pole position at the Belgian Grand Prix , but McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri secured the P1 finish, which resulted in a team one-two victory. Piastri successfully moved past Norris through the Kemmel Straight at the beginning of Sunday’s race and never looked back. The decision to pit one lap later with hard tires and a few minor mistakes resulted in his P2 position. Norris’ small mistakes continue to plague him but his talent is exceptional, so you can’t rule him out of this 1-2 McLaren race to the championship
3. Charles Leclerc | Ferrari
After enduring what he called a “horror show” at the British Grand Prix, finishing a lowly 14th after struggling to keep his Ferrari on track, Charles Leclerc staged a remarkable comeback at Spa, securing P3. His car maintained its third position in both pit stops and behind the McLaren drivers while keeping Max Verstappen at bay despite using intermediate tires that were completely decayed. Ferrari’s new suspension package delivered significant improvements to Scuderia’s performance as Leclerc continues to succeed despite car challenges all season.
4. Alex Albon | Williams
After achieving P8 at Silverstone, Alex Albon proved his driving skills by outperforming his teammate, Carlos Sainz, at Spa. The Williams driver showed exceptional speed during the qualifying session, which enabled him to earn a fifth position. The car maintained sixth place throughout the race by outperforming Lewis Hamilton’s faster Ferrari because of its superior straightline performance. This outstanding performance solidifies his position as a future leading driver and it will be fun to see what he can do the rest of the season.
5. Max Verstappen | Red Bull
During the Belgian Grand Prix weekend at Spa, Max Verstappen experienced mixed results following his poor British Grand Prix performance, where his Red Bull setup issues led to a P5 finish. Piastri lost the lead to him during the Sprint, but he maintained his position at P2 on the grid. During the race at Spa, he attempted to improve his position but ended up with a P4 finish because he could not overtake Leclerc’s Ferrari. Verstappen’s opening for yet another championship continues to close — fast.
Read More: Red Bull boss confident Max Verstappen not bolting for Mercedes
6. Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari
During the Belgian Grand Prix weekend, Lewis Hamilton encountered some nightmares by spinning out twice during Q1 sessions and violating track limits multiple times. The Ferrari driver achieved a remarkable P7 position after starting from the pit lane. The seven-time champions demonstrated exceptional racing skills and strategic understanding by switching to slick tires, but Hamilton failed to reach the podium again. With the improvements to his car’s suspension, it was a weekend of mixed emotions and thoughts about what could have been.
Read More: Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Struggles: Miami GP radio fights & Schumacher’s harsh words
7. Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls
The Belgian Grand Prix showed Liam Lawson successfully reaching his third consecutive points score with an P8 finish. Lawson maintained a low profile during the event yet produced consistent results while achieving a P10 position in the Sprint and beating Isack Hadjar to the Grand Prix start. His unobtrusive approach to racing enabled him to earn essential championship points when Hadjar encountered car problems.
8. Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber
The Belgian Grand Prix marked Gabriel Bortoleto’s third points finish in the last three races as he finished ninth in the race. Bortoleto performed well enough to qualify for Q3 while beating his Kick Sauber teammate Nico Hulkenberg to that position. The drivers allowed him to move forward during the race before staying clear of trouble to achieve a strong finish.
9. George Russell | Mercedes
George Russell had an unhappy time at Silverstone due to two slick tire bets, which ended in a spin while he only collected one point. His Spa Sunday performance was “nearly there,” he said, and ended with a P5 finish for the weekend. This indicates a stronger performance than his British GP showing but he’s lost some momentum and looks to rebound in Budapest.
Related: George Russell set to cement Mercedes future with new deal
10. Pierre Gasly | Alpine
The Belgian Grand Prix presented challenges for Pierre Gasly, but he secured a P10 finish to earn his team a point. During the 44-lap race, Gasly maintained a DRS train position on the outside of the top 10 for most of the event. The second pit stop of Nico Hulkenberg’s Kick Sauber car allowed Gasly to move up to P10.
