A lot has happened in Formula 1 over the past few weeks after the British Grand Prix, and the biggest development was the sacking of Christian Horner as Red Bull’s team principal. Since then, Laurent Mekies has taken over as the team’s boss, and his task is to extract as much performance from his drivers, starting with the Belgian Grand Prix this Sunday.
Red Bull have a lot of catching up to do, as they dropped to fourth in the constructors’ standings with 172 points, 288 points behind leaders McLaren. After an eventful week in Silverstone, the Papayas are running away with the team championship, and Oscar Piastri (234 points) and Lando Norris (226 points) continue to go toe-to-toe for the drivers’ championship, leaving Max Verstappen, the reigning titlist, behind in third place with 165 points.
Today, SBOTOP has you covered with the latest Belgian Grand Prix 2025 updates.
How will Horner’s exit affect Red Bull?
Red Bull relieved Christian Horner of his responsibilities as team principal and CEO just three days after the British Grand Prix. Under Horner, Red Bull became a dominant force in Formula 1, winning eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ titles during his 20-year tenure. As mentioned, Laurent Mekies has assumed Horner’s role.
Before Horner’s dismissal, Red Bull had seen the departures of their key personnel in the past few months, including star designer Adrian Newey, sporting director Jonathan Wheatley, and engineer Rob Marshall. Horner’s sexual misconduct allegations certainly didn’t help, and the final nails in the coffin were his mishandling of the team’s second driver situation and their subpar on-track results.
It is also rumoured that Verstappen has grown disenchanted with Horner, so many speculate that Red Bull fired Horner to appease the Dutchman, who has been heavily linked with a move to Mercedes for 2026. This move made it clear that this is Verstappen’s team, and the Dutchman must do better, as he suffered a DNF in Austria and was out of the podium in Silverstone in his last two outings.
Hulkenberg aims to prove he’s no fluke
Nico Hulkenberg raised eyebrows when he finished third in Silverstone, marking his first career podium after 239 starts. The 37-year-old achieved this despite the changeable weather and some late pressure from Lewis Hamilton.
Kick Sauber have hit a rich vein in form as of late, scoring more points in the last four races than Red Bull, thanks to Hulkenberg, while teammate Gabriel Bortoleto bagged his maiden points in Austria. As a result, the Zurich-based outfit rose to sixth in the constructors’ championship with 41 points, and Hulkenberg improved to ninth place in the drivers’ championship with 37 points.
During a recent interview, Hulkenberg said that, while he’s overwhelmed by the praise he received recently, he’ll use this as motivation to win more points (and maybe podiums) for Kick Sauber.
History
The Belgian Grand Prix is one of the most popular events on the Formula 1 calendar. It is known for the scenic Spa-Francorchamps circuit, although it is also known for its unpredictable weather. It was first held from 1925 to 1939. After an eight-year hiatus, it was held from 1947 to 1970 before another 13-year break, and it stayed in the calendar for good in 1983.
Michael Schumacher boasts the most wins in Spa with six, including repeats in 1996 to 1997 and 2001 to 2002. After winning last year’s edition, Lewis Hamilton tied Ayrton Senna and Jim Clark for having the second-most victories with five. Besides Hamilton, Max Verstappen is the only active racer to have at least two wins in Spa, with three after an impressive three-peat from 2021 to 2023, despite receiving grid penalties in the last three qualifying sessions.
What are the odds?
The Papayas are expected to dominate the Sprint and race proceedings this weekend. The Belgian Grand Prix 2025 odds have Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris both priced at 2.80 to win the Sprint and 2.60 to win the actual race. Max Verstappen is smack dabbed at third at 4.00 in both events, and Charles Leclerc (10.00), last year’s winner Lewis Hamilton (12.00), and George Russell (13.00) are distant challengers for the third podium.
The Papayas are pegged at 1.35 to be the winning team, while Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes are at 4.50, 5.50, and 11.00. Aston Martin are expected to be the fifth-best team at 67.00, taking into consideration their double-points finish in Silverstone. Furthermore, a consecutive podium finish for Nico Hulkenberg is a long shot because he’s priced at 101.00 to win Sunday’s race.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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