1115th F1 GRAND PRIX | 80th BELGIAN GRAND PRIX | 57th GRAND PRIX AT SPA FRANCORCHAMPS
2023 POLESITTER: CHARLES LECLERC | 2023 WINNER: MAX VERSTAPPEN
Belgian Grand Prix organisers secured another short term contract to keep Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on the calendar in 2024. The 2024 Belgian Grand Prix is set to take place on July 26-28.
2024 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX: WEEKEND SCHEDULE
Friday July 26
Free Practice 1 – 1:30pm Local Time / 12:30pm UK Time
Free Practice 2 – 5:00pm Local Time / 4:00pm UK Time
Saturday July 27
Free Practice 3 – 12:00pm Local Time / 11:00am UK Time
Qualifying – 4:00pm Local Time / 3:00pm UK Time
Sunday July 28
The 2024 Belgian Grand Prix – 3:00pm Local Time / 2:00pm UK Time
2024 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX: WEEKEND MILESTONES
For the second year in a row, the Belgian Grand Prix will be the final race before the summer break. July 28 is the earliest date on which the Spa race will take place since 1987, when the event took place in May.
Victory for Max Verstappen at the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix would make him the third driver – after Jim Clark and Ayrton Senna – to have won at Spa-Francorchamps in four consecutive seasons.
If Max Verstappen is fastest in qualifying for the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix it would be the fourth consecutive year in which he has set the fastest Q3 time. That would see him equal Ayrton Senna as the driver to have set the fastest qualifying time in the most consecutive seasons at Spa-Francorchamps. Senna did so between 1988 and 1991.
READ MORE IN MILESTONES AND RECORDS TO BREAK
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 2024 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
WHAT HAS CHANGED AT THE CIRCUIT SINCE LAST YEAR?
Since last year, new asphalt has been laid between Turns 17 & 2, from Turn 4 to Turn 8, from Turn 14 to Turn 15 and throughout the fast lane of the pit lane. There are new concrete walls at various parts around the track, along with new gates, openings and combination kerbs.
HOW MANY DRS ZONES WILL THERE BE AT THE 2024 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX?
There will be two DRS detection points and two activation zones at the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix. The activation zones are located on the Kemmel Straight and on the pit straight, like in previous years.
CIRCUIT DE SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS TRACK GUIDE
Situated in the heart of the Ardennes Forest, the ferocious Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is one of Formula 1’s legendary tracks. The longest circuit on the calendar, with its own micro-climate and massive elevation changes, means the Belgian Grand Prix is always unpredictable.
Spa-Francorchamps is one of the original racing circuits, as racing moved from city to city races to racing around circuits. The original nine mile circuit linked the towns of Malmedy, Stavelot and Francorchamps in a triangular shaped course.
The track, which incorporated public roads, was designed in 1920 by Jules de Thier and Henri Langlois Van Ophem and held its first race soon after. For the first years of its existence, the track held only motorcycle races, until – following the success of the 24 Hours of Le Mans race – Spa held its own day long race for cars.
The first Belgian Grand Prix was held in 1925, and was won by Antonio Ascari, the father of future Formula One World Champion Alberto Ascari. Further Grands Prix were held here from 1930 onwards, with the iconic Radillion and Eau Rouge corners being added to the track in 1939. The 1939 race itself was held in treacherous conditions, and led to the death of Richard Seamen, who crashed out from the lead.
The 1939 event was the last held before the onslaught of World War II. The area around the circuit played a role in the war. The Battle of the Bulge, which was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front, took place in the Ardennes forest. The battle saw over 20,000 deaths, including around 3,000 civilians.
READ MORE IN OUR ULTIMATE TRACK GUIDE
WHO WILL BE IN THE 2024 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX PRESS CONFERENCES?
The world’s media will have the opportunity to talk to the drivers ahead of the on-track action. The drivers appearing in the press conference for this race are:
Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Valtteri Bottas (Sauber)
Daniel Ricciardo (RB)
The media will also be talking to prominent members of Formula 1’s teams in a separate press conference over the race weekend. The team members appearing in the press conference are:
Bruno Famin (Alpine)
Fred Vasseur (Ferrari)
Alessandro Alunni Bravi (Sauber)
Laurent Mekies (RB)
WHO WILL BE THE RACE DIRECTOR AT THE 2024 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX?
Niels Wittich will be the race director at the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix.
WHO WILL BE THE DRIVER STEWARD AT THE 2024 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX?
Each weekend a former Formula 1 driver, or a driver from another prominent series of motorsport, joins the stewards to help judge any incidents from a drivers’ perspective. The Driver Steward this weekend is Enrique Bernoldi.
WHICH TYRE COMPOUNDS WILL BE USED AT THE 2024 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX?
The C2, C3 and C4 tyre compounds will be used at the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix. The same compounds were used last year.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME AT THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX?
While Piastri impressed in the Sprint on Saturday, Verstappen fought back from a five-place grid penalty to win the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix.
With Spa-Francorchamps hosting a Sprint weekend for the first time, there was just a single hour of practice ahead of the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix. The practice session, much like the qualifying session, was held in damp conditions.
Both Esteban Ocon and Kevin Magnussen tapped the tyre barriers in the tricky drying conditions in Q2. Despite being unhappy with setting the tenth fastest time in Q2, Verstappen set the fastest lap time in Q3, but a 5-place penalty for a gearbox change promoted Charles Leclerc to pole position for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Another wet day on Saturday, dedicated to Sprint activities, saw track action delayed. When the Sprint Shootout eventually begun, it did so in similar drying conditions to Friday’s qualifying. Turn 9 proved to be tricky again, with Lance Stroll crashing out in SQ2.
With the track drying further in the closing stages of SQ3, each passing lap saw a new name at the top of the timing tower. Pierre Gasly set the initial pace towards the end of the session, before being displaced by Carlos Sainz. Oscar Piastri then set the fastest lap time by just 0.014 seconds, before Verstappen bettered the benchmark by a further 0.011 seconds.
More rain between the Sprint Shootout and the Sprint itself saw the Saturday race begin with a rolling start – though most drivers opted to head to the pit lane to switch from wet tyres to intermediates as the race began. Verstappen opted to stay out for the first lap but Piastri made sufficient time on his first lap on intermediates to take the lead at the start of Lap 2.
The Safety Car was called when Fernando Alonso crashed out on a disappointing Saturday for Aston Martin. The race resumed on Lap 6, with Verstappen able to get a run on the leading McLaren to return to the front of the field. That’s how the order remained for the rest of the Sprint, with the rest of the action coming from the two Ferraris and Hamilton and Perez; the latter Red Bull tumbling down the order with a lack of grip.
Verstappen won the Sprint ahead of Piastri, with Gasly securing a top three finish with Alpine, while a five-second penalty for Hamilton due to contact with Perez dropped him from fourth on the road to seventh in the final order.
The first dry day of the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix came on race day, with Leclerc starting alongside Perez on the front row of the grid. Leclerc maintained his lead into Turn 1, while Piastri picked up damage in contact with Sainz. After an impressive Saturday, the Australian’s Sunday afternoon came to an early end.
Further round the opening lap, on the Kemmel Straight, Perez slipstreamed his way by Leclerc to take the lead. Verstappen moved up to fourth place with a similar slipstream move on Sainz. At the start of Lap 5, Lando Norris lost positions in quick succession to both Lance Stroll and George Russell. Sainz’s wounded car lost positions as the laps passed by.
On Lap 6, Verstappen passed Hamilton for the final podium spot and by Lap 9 he was on Leclerc’s tail, making the move for second stick. Eight laps later, Verstappen had caught his team-mate and led the race for the first time.
Fans in the grandstands began to take out their umbrellas just before the halfway point of the race, with Verstappen having a moment in the slippery conditions at Eau Rouge. Yuki Tsunoda was having an impressive race, making his way up as far as sixth place in the race’s midpoint.
The rain did not necessitate any pit stops for intermediate tyres and the rest of the race passed without incident for the front runners. Verstappen led home a Red Bull 1-2, with polesitter Leclerc completing the podium.
WHAT’S THE FASTEST EVER LAP TIME AT THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX?
Attending the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix? Learn more about visiting Spa-Francorchamps in the F1Destinations Travel Guide.