PREVIEW: Round 9 takes us to Spa-Francorchamps

After a slight break, the paddock is heading to Spa-Francorchamps for what will be the ninth round of this fascinating 2025 FIA Formula 2 campaign.

The title fights are closer than ever and with the Belgian venue playing host to the penultimate race weekend before the summer break, the drivers and teams will be looking to end this part of the season in good form.

So as we prepare to go racing once again, here is everything you need to know ahead of the Round 9 action…

WHAT TO EXPECT

The weekend starts at 10:10 local time on Friday morning with Free Practice, where the drivers will have 45 minutes to prepare themselves for Qualifying later that day, at 14:55.

This will decide the grid for both races, the first being the Saturday Sprint, and lights out for the 18-lap event is scheduled for 13:45 local time.

The drivers will get another chance to claim a victory on Sunday morning at the 25-lap Feature Race, which is set to get underway at 10:00 local time. So who will take the top prize at Spa-Francorchamps?

STAT PACK

• The Feature Race winner has not come from pole in Formula 2’s last three visits to Spa-Francorchamps, with Yuki Tsunoda’s 2020 victory the last time pole position was converted into a victory.

• PREMA Racing have the most Pole Positions at Spa-Francorchamps with three (Charles Leclerc in 2017, Nyck de Vries in 2018 and Oliver Bearman in 2023).

• The average Qualifying margin between the top two so far in 2025 has been 0.077s, the closest gap through the first eight rounds in F2 history.

• Campos Racing currently lead the way in the Teams’ Championship having won four races this season, which is tied for the most with DAMS Lucas Oil.

• The Spanish outfit also won the 2024 Spa-Francorchamps Feature Race through Isack Hadjar, with ART Grand Prix winning the Sprint with Zak O’Sullivan.

FROM THE GRID – Richard Verschoor, MP Motorsport

“I think Spa is one of the best circuits. All the drivers, they love Spa. It’s always very nice to drive, it’s got a very nice flow, with some high-speed corners, which is very enjoyable to drive in the Formula 2 car, especially with the one of MP, so very excited to go back there.

“You have some interesting DRS zones to pull off overtakes. After the last chicane, you are usually quite close to the car in front, then you have the small DRS zone going into T1, but then you have a big one going up the hill towards T5. That’s where most moves are done, but since we have Eau Rouge before it can be quite tricky to keep the car close, so tactic wise it can be quite interesting.

“In Qualifying, since everyone knows the track quite well and likes the track, the gaps are always quite small. You really have to nail qualifying to be on top and if you nail it, it’s an amazing feeling. But I have always been quite strong in the races there, so even if qualifying does not go your way, you will still have a lot of opportunities in the race.”

TECHNICAL PREVIEW

Pierre-Alain Michot, FIA Formula 2 Technical Director

“Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps provides a big test for the drivers and teams. A lot of the lap is spent on full throttle with the first and third sectors made up of very long straights.

“However, for the teams it will not be as simple as taking all the downforce off their cars, as the second sector is a very technical section with several sweeping corners, and this is where a lot of lap time can be won or lost, especially in Qualifying.

“Additionally, the time spent on throttle means fuel consumption will be quite high this weekend, as will braking demands, with several corners requiring heavy deceleration.”

PIRELLI PREVIEW

The compound choice for the Spa-Francorchamps weekend is the same as last year’s, with the Soft and Medium centre stage. The softest of the two is viable for Saturday’s race, although it will have to be managed carefully on a track that exerts particularly severe forces on the tyres. As for the Feature Race, last year’s race when the field was divided equally between those who lined up on the grid on Soft and those who went for the Medium, would indicate that both strategies can be competitive. As always in Belgium the weather can play its part: the latest forecast predicts rain putting in an appearance and, if it is hot, then the Soft will have the advantage, while cooler conditions should favour the Medium.