Live: Piastri and Norris resume the F1 title Fight when rain is threatening chaos in Belgium

The most dramatic moment of the season happened outside the track since the British Grand Prix – Red Bull separated roads with his team head, Christian Horner.

Horner became Team Head in 2005, just after the Austrian energy drink company Jaguar F1 bought at the end of 2004.

Under Horner, Red Bull won eight driver championships (four for Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen) and six constructors’ Championships.

To give Horner’s term of office any context, the Grand Prix of this weekend will be the first in the lifetime of Oliver Bearman (Haas, 19) and Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes, 18) where Horner was not one of the team leaders.

Now, for the first time in the history of Red Bull, someone else will be a team head.

That man is Laurent Mekies, who has been around F1 since 2001.

He was the team director of Red Bull’s Junior Team, Racing Bulls, a role he started in 2024.

Before that he was a deputy team director and racing director of Ferrari.

Spa-Francorchamps is the longest track on the F1 calendar and measures 7.004 meters.

The circuit is a favorite with fans and drivers, with long, fast straight and difficult corners that make it exciting to finish.

Boringen 2–4 are the most famous on the circuit, with the fast Chicane of turns 2 and 3 – called Eau Rouge and Raidillon – then onto the hill to become 4, which leads to the long straight right.

Returning the hill is fast, with swept corners ready to catch the smallest mistake.

There are various catch -up options for the drivers, with turn 5 at the end of the straight, and the last chicane usually the best places.

Tyson. My best friend, Tyson.

• Why do you get on this blog and remind me of one of the longest nights of my professional career?
• Why should I worry about thinking that this could happen again?
• What did I do to earn this?

For those who are newer to F1, the Belgian Grand Prix from 2021 was unfortunately a farce.

It wasn’t someone’s fault – it just rained and rained and raining.

After hours of nothing, the drivers were sent two laps behind the Safety Car, just to complete the race and hand out a few points.

Where you have qualified is where you are ready.

1. 1.Max Verstappen – Red Bull
2. 2.George Russell – Williams
3. 3.Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes

Here is a nice fact that I remember that night. The fastest round of the race was by Haas driver Nikita Mazepin.

G’day Bailey.

Thank you for joining the live blog.

The race continues – don’t be afraid.

Rain is expected all afternoon in historical Circuit the Spa-Francorchamps, so that we can have a long night.

Here the race will start in each of the states and areas of Australia.

• Aest: 11 p.m.: Nsw, vic, qld, bag, act
• ACST: 10.30 p.m.: South -Australia and Northern Territory
• August: 9 p.m.: West -Australia.

G’Day Phillip.

Thank you for joining me at the ABC Sport F1 Live blog.

Great question.

The points handed out at the end of a Grand Prix are determined by how much of the race is completed.

Here is the structure:

If the leader completes 75 percent of the racing distance, full points are awarded.

1st: 25 – 2nd: 18 – 3rd: 15 – 4th: 12 – 5th: 10 – 6th: 8 – 7th: 6 – 8th: 4 – 9th: 2 – 10th: 1

If the leader completes less than 75 percent, but more than 50 percent, the top 10 drivers are awarded:

1st: 19 – 2nd: 14 – 3rd: 12 – 4th: 9 – 5th: 8 – 6th: 6 – 7th: 5 – 8th: 3 – 9th: 2 – 10th: 1

If the leader completes less than 50 percent, but more than 25 percent, the top nine drivers are awarded:

1st: 13 – 2nd: 10 – 3rd: 8 – 4th: 6 – 5th: 5 – 6th: 4 – 7th: 3 – 8th: 1 – 9th: 1

If the leader completes less than 25 percent, but more than two laps, the top five drivers are awarded:

1st: 6 – 2nd: 4 – 3rd: 3 – 4th: 2 – 5th: 1

If fewer than two laps have been completed, no points will be awarded.

Max Verstappen stopped 15 rounds of Oscar Piastri yesterday to win the sprintrace.

But the qualification of Grand Prix was not that fertile for the Dutchman.

Not only, like the rest of the field, he could not match the pace of the McLarens, but the four -fold world champions were written in third place by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Speaking after he qualified yesterday, Verstappen said that he had expected a tough race from the fourth, especially when there is rain.

“I think that will be difficult. First, if it is wet, you can’t see anything, so you can’t really do anything in round one,” he said.

“I hope we can fight back to a stage, but normally McLaren in the wet conditions is also very fast. They now really have that under control with how the engine works.

“So I don’t make any illusion, we just have to be realistic, and we just have to work on our balance first.”

Oscar Piastri is the Championship Leader ‘Championship Nine Points for his McLaren teammate Lando Norris.

But it is Norris who starts on pole tonight.

Piastri started the sprintrace last night on the post, but Red Bull driver Max Verstappen was able to use the sleep to catch up with the Australian in the turn five.

During an interview on a truck with open top, Piastri looked at the famous Eau Rouge (turn 2), which is usually taken flat.

‘I just look at Eau Rouge to see if I can hold it flat, or not, “he says.

“If it is wet, it adds a big challenge, because Eau rouge becomes one [proper] corner.”

Verstappen proved that the second yesterday can be a great starting position, because the leader hits the air in the air that it slows down.

The Australian hopes to catch up with his teammate in the first round, but rain can hinder that.

“I think we expect a lot more rain for the race. If it was dry, the second is not a bad place to start.”

The drivers stand on a paraderne, wave at fans and store their cheers and applause.

The first person to do is Paalsitter Lando Norris.

The Brit is nine points behind his teammate Oscar Piastri in the driver’s championship.

On his third Grand Prix victory in a row, the McLaren driver said that tonight’s race will be difficult while the rain continues to threaten.

“A pole is always a good feeling, so I’m happy, but today is a very different day,” says Norris.

“Happy with my position, it makes me in the best possible way, but today will be a long day.”

Lando Norris van McLaren Pip Championship-Tooning teammate Oscar Piastri to pole position in the Belgian Grand Prix on Saturday.

Piastri also finished second in the Sprint race, behind Max Verstappen of Red Bull.

Catch up on Saturday’s promotion by tapping the link below.

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton did not have a good qualifying session on Saturday.

The sevenfold world champion had removed its fastest time in Q1, which means that the Brit was eliminated early.

Ferrari has placed a new power unit for Hamilton’s car and he starts tonight’s Grand Prix from the pit line.

Here the race will start in each of the states and areas of Australia.

• Aest: 11 p.m.: Nsw, vic, qld, bag, act
• ACST: 10.30 p.m.: South -Australia and Northern Territory
• August: 9 p.m.: West -Australia.

There was early drama Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps.

The Formula 3 -Functierace was canceled after two red flags, while heavy rain hamd.

The race started behind the Safety Car, but different drivers turned.

The race was marked red and after a short break the race director sent them back to try to complete the race.

Another stint behind the Safety Car turned out to be fruitless, as more drivers of the circuit split.

The red flag came out and eventually the race was canceled without racing rounds.

Good news is that Formula 2 and Porsche Supercup races can continue.

We are expected to have an F1 Grand Prix where it will be a factor again.

Good evening, Australia.

Welcome back to the live digital coverage of ABC Sport from the Formula 1 World Championship 2025.

Tonight the Australian Oscar Piastri starts second on the schedule for the Belgian Grand Prix, at the historic Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps.

Piastri has a narrow lead of nine points about teammate Lando Norris, who starts tonight’s race on Paal.

Participate in the conversation and let us know your opinion about all things F1 in the commentary part.