Verstappen Holds Off McLarens to Win Thrilling Spa Sprint
Max Verstappen celebrated Red Bull's victory in the Sprint Race at the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix following a thrilling high-speed race at Spa-Francorchamps with both McLarens. In addition, this victory also marked the end of a streak of second and third-place finishes for Red Bull since Imola, and the first Red Bull victory under new leadership.
Starting from P2 on the grid, Verstappen made a great move early in the race when he passed pole-sitter Oscar Piastri into Les Combes in the race's early laps. Once Verstappen was in control, he would never relinquish it. Faster in both Sectors 1 and 3, Verstappen, though losing out to the McLaren in Sector 2, was maintaining the lap which Piastri couldn’t shorten, even after 14 laps with DRS.
This saw the Australian cross the line in second place, losing one place from his pole that he claimed on Friday but also widening his championship gap. Norris made it a 2-3 for McLaren just behind, closing in on but unable to catch his teammate after briefly being overtaken by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the opening stages of the race.
Leclerc took fourth for Ferrari, closely followed by Esteban Ocon for Haas with a strong fifth. Carlos Sainz, now at Williams, was sixth. Completing the points were Haas rookie Oliver Bearman seventh, Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar eighth, Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto ninth, and Liam Lawson tenth – all earning points in the Sprint over the whole weekend.
Verstappen’s win was Red Bull’s first of the season in the sprint format, while Verstappen’s win saw him extend his record total sprint victories to 12 wins overall. Despite figuring out how to fend off the McLaren’s pressures, he kept his cool and pace throughout the entire race, driving almost a flawless sprint to take home a much-needed victory for the team.
The result brings a confidence boost to Red Bull, who have spent the last several rounds playing catch-up to McLaren and Ferrari across both qualifying and race pace. It also comes at a time of transition for the team, with leadership changes off-track adding pressure to maintain competitiveness on it. Verstappen’s composure under pressure—particularly against two aggressive McLarens with a clear straight-line speed edge—was a reminder of the consistency that has underpinned his success over recent seasons.
Meanwhile, McLaren’s performance confirmed their strength in one-lap pace and tyre preservation. Piastri’s ability to stay within DRS range for nearly the entire sprint, despite the dirty air and Verstappen’s top-end advantage, showed just how closely matched the top cars are heading into Sunday. Norris, though unable to make a move for second, continued his run of podium-level finishes and remained firmly in championship contention.
The midfield battle also offered plenty of interest. Ocon’s fifth place was another strong statement for Haas, who have consistently scored in sprints this season. Bearman’s performance in seventh gave more signs of maturity, while Hadjar, Bortoleto, and Lawson each delivered quietly efficient drives to bring home crucial lower-end sprint points.
Looking forward to qualifying, the weather appears to remain clear for the session, but the Grand Prix will most likely see a wet track on Sunday, where the second critical element of strategic decisions around car setup and tyre selections be paramount again. Both McLaren drivers confirmed their main priority remains maximum points tomorrow and from that suggested a vastly different priority for Sunday.
With Spa-Francorchamps once again delivering a compelling sprint, the stage is now set for what could be a very unpredictable and potentially rain-soaked Grand Prix. The battle between Verstappen and the McLarens shows no signs of slowing, and with the likes of Leclerc, Sainz, and Ocon in close pursuit, Sunday may yet produce another reshuffle at the front of the field.