2024 F1 Belgian GP: Preview and Predictions

The 2024 F1 Belgian GP will be the last race before the summer break and comes at a very interesting moment. In the past, the race at Spa would mean the start of the second half of the season but with an increase in the number of races, the race has been moved to an earlier slot in the calendar. We're coming off an eventful race in Hungary where Oscar Piastri picked up his first race win.

Not only that, we also had Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen coming together in what was later deemed a racing incident. Heading to the F1 Belgian GP, this is the first time since 2021 that Max has not won during a span of three races.

At the same time, Spa coincides with probably one of the worst Max Verstappen outbursts in a long time. A lot is riding on the F1 Belgian GP and hence the anticipation is at an all-time high. With that being said, what can we expect from the race weekend? Let's find out.

2024 F1 Belgian GP: Preview

Key Storylines

#1 Max Verstappen's frustration

If there was anyone who saw any segment of the race in Hungary, there was one thing quite evident, Max Verstappen was just too frustrated. He was not happy about anything going on with the car.

The Dutch driver didn't like the strategy, he didn't like the fact that he missed pole, the fact that his car couldn't ride the kerbs like other cars could, and didn't like being forced to cede position to Lando Norris at the start. The epicenter of all of this was Red Bull's upgrades not working as expected.

The driver is going through his worst run in a long time and he wasn't happy about it. More often than not, a champion goes back, reevaluates, and comes back with a bang. It will be interesting to see if Max can do that at Spa.

#2 Lando Norris' lack of wins

In an ideal world, Lando Norris could have won every race since the F1 Miami GP. The car has had the pace to deliver those wins, but it's the mistakes here and there from the driver and the team, or just bad luck sometimes, that have cost him the wins.

Giving up the win in Hungary was painful, and it was obvious from Lando's expression that this was something he was forced to do. Coming to the F1 Belgian GP, with Max Verstappen most likely starting the race at the back of the grid, Lando has the opportunity to pick up another win, and all eyes will be on him to see if he can do that.

#3 Aston Martin and Fernando Alonso's dynamics

Fernando Alonso has sounded increasingly disinterested in front of the media as Aston Martin's form has dwindled. He wasn't too impressed with the team slowly making progress and returning to a position of fighting for points.

He's lost to Lance a few times in the races now, and it will be interesting to see what his mindset is going forward.

Form Guide

In Form

One has to give props to Lewis Hamilton here because of the manner in which he's driven in the last few races. The driver has a win to his name and multiple podiums as well.

At the same time, he's jumped ahead of George Russell in the championship. Mercedes should do well around Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps and maybe give Lewis another opportunity to perform well around the track.

Out of Form

The F1 Belgian GP might be the last race as a Red Bull driver for Sergio Perez. The Mexican has been very disappointing in the first half of the season, and he would be desperately hoping for at least something to show the team that maybe there's something worth banking on.

2024 F1 Belgian GP: Predictions

Who will win the race?

Max Verstappen is more than likely going to start the race from the back of the grid as the Red Bull driver has to take a new power unit. In the past, he's still been able to win the F1 Belgian GP despite this handicap, but this season, the competitive nature of the field would be a real detriment.

While Red Bull could potentially have the fastest car for the weekend, McLaren won't be too far behind, and if that's the case, we're going with Lando Norris to win the F1 Belgian GP.

Surprise of the weekend (Team)

Haas had a very disappointing run in Hungary where the driver and the team possibly didn't maximize everything from the package. Coming to Spa, it's been a track where Nico Hulkenberg has done well in the past, and the car should be strong enough to bring home points.

This weekend, we expect Haas to potentially be the fifth-fastest car and leapfrog both RB and Aston Martin in the pecking order.

Surprise of the weekend (Driver)

Sergio Perez is in a position of despair right now at Red Bull, as he more or less knows that his time is up. Having said that, the F1 Belgian GP is one race where he's shown that he can do a brilliant job.

He's had strong results here in the past as well, even though they were mostly down to Red Bull being too good against the rivals. With Max starting the race at the back (most likely), expect Sergio Perez to put together a good account of himself in the F1 Belgian GP.

Disappointment of the weekend (Team)

Aston Martin sounded confident after the F1 Hungarian GP when it came to its prospects in the future. The team claims that some progress has been made when it comes to understanding the upgrades and how the car is supposed to function. Spa, however, is not a track that plays into the strengths of the car, and we can see the team once again struggle to score points this weekend.

Disappointment of the weekend (Driver)

Away from the spotlight, Kevin Magnussen is driving for his career at Haas and it has not gone well this season. The Danish driver has been very pragmatic about his future, but the reality is that he would rather be in F1 than any other series.

The unfortunate reality of the situation is that Kevin's teammate is Nico Hulkenberg, who tends to do well in Spa. The F1 Belgian GP is the last attempt for Magnussen before the summer break to persuade the suitors, though it looks highly unlikely.