Max Verstappen once again showed his class by winning the Sprint Race at the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver outpaced the favorites at Spa-Francorchamps and is now fully back in the fight for the championship.

Intense Battle Among Championship Leaders

The 27-year-old overtook Oscar Piastri from McLaren, who had started on pole but finished second. His teammate Lando Norris rounded out the podium. With this result, Piastri now leads with 241 points, extending his advantage to nine over Norris and 68 over Verstappen, who remains in contention.

Behind them, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) finished fourth, ahead of Esteban Ocon (Haas) and Spain’s Carlos Sainz, now driving for Williams, who crossed the line in sixth. Fellow Spaniard Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) ended up 14th after a quiet race.

Colapinto Struggles and Hamilton Limits Damage

Argentinian driver Franco Colapinto (Alpine) started from the pit lane on soft tires—while the rest of the grid opted for mediums—and finished 19th. His teammate, Frenchman Pierre Gasly, retired early due to hydraulic issues.

British seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) began in 18th and moved up to 15th. While he didn’t score points, he minimized the damage heading into Sunday’s main race.

The decisive move came when Verstappen overtook Piastri on Turn 5, the same spot where Leclerc passed Norris. From that point on, the top three in the championship maintained their positions without major changes.

At the end, Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois waved the checkered flag to crown the four-time world champion, who celebrated his 12th career Sprint win in Formula 1.

"It was a great victory, keeping them behind all race here at Spa," said a pleased Verstappen.