The 2025 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix delivered a race full of tension and unpredictability, largely shaped by difficult weather conditions. The Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps was heavily delayed due to rain, with the start postponed by over an hour. However, around 16:20 local time, the skies cleared just enough to allow the race to get underway, and the track began to dry progressively as the laps went on.
The thirteenth round of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship began with all drivers starting on Intermediate tyres. Race control opted against using Full Wets, as the amount of water spray created by the cars would have made visibility almost impossible—particularly for drivers caught in the midfield. At 15:00, even on Intermediates, it was still extremely difficult for those in the middle of the pack to see the cars ahead.
After completing three formation laps behind the Safety Car at 16:20, the race was deemed safe to start. McLaren driver Oscar Piastri, starting from second on the grid, prepared his green-marked Intermediate tyres well during the Safety Car phase. He stayed close to teammate Lando Norris through Eau Rouge and executed a decisive move into Les Combes at the end of the Kemmel Straight. That overtake allowed the Australian to take the lead of the race, which he maintained comfortably until the chequered flag.
Strategy Recap – Hamilton’s Masterstroke
Before diving deeper into strategy analysis, it’s worth recapping the key storylines. In general, the Belgian Grand Prix did not offer a wide variety of strategies. However, one driver who stood out in this regard was Lewis Hamilton. Voted Driver of the Day, the seven-time world champion delivered an outstanding performance. Starting from the pit lane in 18th position due to setup changes and penalties, the Ferrari driver timed his switch from Intermediates to slicks perfectly and climbed up to seventh place — gaining eleven positions from his original starting spot.
Hamilton was among the first drivers to realise that the crossover point had arrived — the ideal moment to switch to dry tyres. He boxed for Medium tyres at the same time as Pierre Gasly, a move that helped the Alpine driver secure tenth place and a valuable championship point. Unfortunately for Nico Hülkenberg, who was running ninth after his first stop, a decision to pit again — taken in sync with Fernando Alonso — pushed both drivers out of the points.
Aside from these examples, most teams followed a relatively uniform approach. The most common strategy was a one-stop race using Intermediate tyres followed by Mediums. Only six drivers deviated from this template.
Lando Norris was the only front-runner to opt for Hard tyres instead of Mediums, and he showed impressive pace, even faster than race leader Oscar Piastri in the final stages. Then there were Hülkenberg, Alonso, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, and Franco Colapinto, who all followed an Intermediate–Medium–Medium strategy. Franco Colapinto’s second stint on fresh tyres even allowed him to set the fastest lap of the race with a time of 1:44.861. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz and Isack Hadjar both ran an Intermediate–Medium–Hard sequence but finished at the back of the field.
Soft Tyres Excluded from All Race Strategies
Despite the cool temperatures caused by the persistent rain, the Soft C4 compound was excluded from every team’s strategy. Pirelli had predicted that the drop in temperature would increase tyre life, but there were still concerns that the Soft compound would suffer from graining and rapid performance degradation — especially on a track like Spa, which takes longer to rubber in after wet sessions. These considerations led all teams to avoid the Soft tyre, a decision anticipated by many analysts before the race.
Instead, the Hard compound emerged as the tyre of choice. In terms of pace, consistency, and low degradation, the Hard tyre proved to be the most effective. Lando Norris demonstrated its potential by consistently lapping quicker than his teammate Oscar Piastri in the latter part of the race. However, Piastri had already built a comfortable lead during the early phases on Intermediates and the first stint on Mediums — a gap that Norris was unable to close.
Had the entire race taken place in fully dry conditions with higher track temperatures, the Hard tyre would likely have delivered even better performance. As it stood, its impressive showing on a drying track confirmed it as the most competitive compound for the Belgian Grand Prix.
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