Lewis Hamilton was "gutted" for George Russell after the latter's disqualification from the Belgian Grand Prix handed victory to the seven-time Formula One champion.

Russell finished just ahead of his Mercedes team-mate Hamilton in Sunday's race to seal a one-two for the team at Spa.

Mercedes had taken a risky strategy with Russell, who went 34 laps on just one set of tyres.

However, an investigation after the race found Russell's car to be 1.5kg underweight, and so Hamilton was handed the race win.

In a post on Instagram, Hamilton said: "Mixed feelings for today's result. Obviously, happy to get the win but I feel for George and it's disappointing for the team not to get the one-two.

"A lot of positives to take from today, though. At the start of the weekend, we didn't expect to be at the front or the pace we had, so it's great to see just how much progress has been made and that we are in the fight.

"We take all these positives with us into the break and will come back a stronger team ready to keep the momentum going."

In a subsequent post on his Instagram story, Hamilton wrote: "Great drive today @georgerussell63, really am gutted for you and the team losing the win and also our 1-2 which the team deserved. Let's keep pushing, work towards another 1-2 in the second half."

Russell, meanwhile, was left heartbroken by the decision, which denied him his second win of the season.

"Heartbreaking… We came in 1.5kg underweight and have been disqualified from the race," Russell wrote in a post on social media.

"We left it all on the track today and I take pride in crossing the line first. There will be more to come."

Hamilton is now sixth in the drivers' standings, with 150 points, 34 ahead of Russell in eighth.

Reigning champion Max Verstappen picked up another two points courtesy of Russell's disqualification, taking him onto 277 at the top of the standings, though the Dutchman has not won in four races, his worst such streak since 2020.

George Russell has been disqualified from the Belgian Grand Prix after his car was found to be underweight, with Lewis Hamilton inheriting his win.

Russell had pulled off a remarkable victory from sixth on the grid with a one-stop strategy, beating Lewis Hamilton, who had led for most of the race, by half a second.

However, the 26-year-old's car failed a post-race weight check, with a report later confirming that while the car had initially been compliant with the minimum weight, 2.8 litres of fuel were then removed.

That, coupled with Russell's one-stop strategy that saw his hard tyres worn down, took him 1.5 kilograms below the weight limit.

Mercedes told stewards that "there were no mitigating circumstances and that it was a genuine error by the team" after the findings were revealed.

As a result, Hamilton has his second win of the season, three weeks on from his British Grand Prix triumph at the start of the month, and the 105th in his career.

Oscar Piastri moved up to P2, while Charles Leclerc took P3.

An official statement from team principal Toto Wolff following the verdict read: "We have to take our disqualification on the chin.

"We have clearly made a mistake and need to ensure we learn from it. We will go away, evaluate what happened and understand what went wrong. To lose a 1-2 is frustrating, and we can only apologise to George, who drove such a strong race.

"Lewis is, of course, promoted to P1; he was the fastest guy on the two-stop and is a deserving winner.

"Despite the disqualification, there are many positives we can take from this weekend. We had a car that was the benchmark in today's race across two different strategies. Only a few months ago, that would have been inconceivable.

"We head into the summer break having won three of the past four races. We will look to come back after shutdown rejuvenated and with the aim of maintaining our positive trajectory."

Revised Top 10

1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
5. Lando Norris (McLaren)
6. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
7. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
9. Esteban Ocon (Alphine)
10. Daniel Ricciardo (RB)

Max Verstappen says Red Bull "have work to do" if they are to reassert their dominance of Formula One after the mid-season break, while Lando Norris rued some mistakes.

Verstappen finished fifth in the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, having come back from P11.

The Dutchman had qualified in pole, but had to deal with a 10-place penalty that was dealt his way following a collision with Lewis Hamilton last weekend.

While George Russell and Hamilton finished first and second for a Mercedes one-two, Verstappen missed the chance to become the third driver in F1 history to win four races in a row at Spa.

Indeed, he has failed to win the last four races, marking his worst run since 2020, and he knows Red Bull have to get back on track after a shaky few weeks.

He told Sky Sports F1: "If I'd have started P1, of course there's a much better opportunity.

"I was just stuck in the train, saving my tyres so I can't optimise the pace – the race was all about damage limitation. I knew that.

"They're ahead of us. Sometimes McLaren, sometimes Mercedes, I think we were faster than Ferrari but coming from P11, didn't have enough time to pass them.

"We know we have work to do, we want to do better, we're not satisfied, but everyone is doing a great job and you have to take your hat off to that as well."

Verstappen's closest rival in the championship standings, Norris, could not gain ground on the three-time reigning champion, however.

And the McLaren driver lamented his errors over recent races.

"The strategy was good, in the end it seemed whoever undercut more, won the race," he told Sky Sports F1.

"We did what we thought was best. The pace in the car was good. Maybe I could have been more aggressive but I was happy otherwise.

"I felt the pace was good, the few laps I had clean, or behind Carlos [Sainz] when he went long, the car went good, came alive a little bit. The pace felt better, I just couldn't do anything with it.

"From the team side, super happy. I just feel the last few races I’ve messed up a lot, and given away a lot of points."

Lewis Hamilton admitted Mercedes did not expect to finish one-two at the Belgian Grand Prix after a poor start to the race weekend.

Hamilton finished half a second behind team-mate George Russell despite leading for large portions of the race and was unable to mount enough pressure to pip him over the finish line.

Mercedes had struggled in the practice sessions on Friday, though they improved in rainy conditions on Saturday, with Hamilton finishing fourth in qualifying, getting bumped up to P3 after Max Verstappen's 10-place grid penalty.

In the end, it was the tyre strategy that swayed in Russell's favour on Sunday, as he made just one stop compared to Hamilton’s two.

After a poor start to the season, Mercedes have now won three of the last four races, and Hamilton is proud of how the team have turned things around.

"No, we definitely didn't [expect that]," he said after the race. "First I have to say congratulations to George and to the team.

"We had such a disaster on Friday. The car was really nowhere.

"We made some changes, hard to see what it was going to feel like because of the wet yesterday, but the car was fantastic today, and we really owe it to everyone, both here doing a solid job with pit stops and strategy, and the guys back at the factory.

"I was trying to get closer [at the end] obviously, but George did a great job going long on the tyres. Every stint I had tyres left, but the team brought me in, so unfortunate, but it is one of those days."

Mercedes are fourth in the constructors' championship on 284 points, 56 behind third-place Ferrari.

However, Hamilton believes they still have a long way to go if they want to be considered one of the contenders for it, even with their impressive recent form.

"No. That would be high hopes," he added. "If we can continue these kind of performances, we've had the last few races, which has been fantastic. If we can start our weekends better, hopefully, we can continue.

"I think the McLaren was very strong today, but we were just a bit further ahead early on. We've just got to keep pushing."

George Russell celebrated an "amazing" win at Spa in the Belgian Grand Prix.

Russell edged out Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton to triumph in a thrilling battle on Sunday.

It marked Russell's second win of the season, as he became only the second driver – after reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen – to win multiple races in 2024.

And a risky strategy that saw Russell only pit once ultimately paid off in style for Mercedes, who have won three of the last four races.

"Amazing," said Russell, who charged up from sixth on the grid.

"We definitely didn't predict this win this morning in our strategy meeting but the car was feeling really awesome.

"We made a lot of changes from Friday night and the tyres just felt great. I kept saying 'we can do the one stop'.

"[Oscar] Piastri did a really great job and also well done to Lewis – he really controlled that race and if circumstances were slightly different I am sure he would have got the victory but a one-two for the team was such an awesome result and such a great way to go into the break.

"Three wins for us now. I want another race next weekend. The team have been working so hard so well deserved for everybody."

Asked whose idea it was to go with just one pit stop, Russell said: "I was focusing a lot during the race so I will have to listen to the radio commentary back but it was a team effort.

"We rolled the dice but it was only possible because the car was feeling really great."

Mercedes chief Toto Wolff was thrilled the risk paid off.

He told Sky Sports: "It’s incredible. We were nowhere. We changed a few things on the car and today we’ve been clearly ahead of everyone.

"We didn't think it was possible but at a certain stage we said, let's stay out, because we were going to finish fifth anyway, both scenarios. He stayed out and in the end he made it last."

George Russell edged out team-mate Lewis Hamilton as Mercedes' upturn in form continued at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Like reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen last year, Russell charged up from sixth on the grid to triumph at Spa.

Russell nursed his tyres for over half of Sunday's race but came in around half a second quicker than seven-time world champion Hamilton, who had started in P3.

It marks Russell's second triumph of the season, and Mercedes' third win in the space of four races.

Oscar Piastri, who won the Hungarian Grand Prix last week, finished third, ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who was unable to capitalise on pole position.

Indeed, Leclerc was overtaken by Hamilton early on, but the latter could not hold out as Russell's risky one-stop strategy paid off.

Leclerc did manage to hold off Verstappen, at least, who finished fifth as his attempt to become the third driver to win the Belgian Grand Prix on four straight occasions failed, albeit the Dutchman had to come from 11th, having been slapped with a 10-place grid penalty after clashing with Hamilton last week.

Lando Norris, Verstappen's closest challenger in the championship standings, completed the top six, but could not make any ground on the leader.

Data Debrief: Is Hamilton back? 

It has been a long and winding, arduous road for Hamilton in recent seasons, but Mercedes have found their gear again, and even if he had to settle for second place this time around, the veteran campaigner appears to be close to his best.

He has now claimed three straight podium finishes for the first time since 2022.

His great rival Verstappen, meanwhile, has not won any of the last four races. That is the Red Bull star's worst run since the 2020 season when he went 11 without a win.

Verstappen needs a win, and quick, though he is 78 points clear at the top of the drivers' standings.

Top 10

1. George Russell (Mercedes)
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
6. Lando Norris (McLaren)
7. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
8. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
9. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)
10. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 275
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 197
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 174

Constructors

1. Red Bull - 404
2. McLaren - 361
3. Ferrari - 340

Lewis Hamilton knows he faces "a hell of a fight" to hold on for a podium finish at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion finished fourth during a wet day of qualifying in Spa, but moved up to P3 after Max Verstappen's 10-place grid penalty after exceeding the maximum number of power units permitted throughout the season.

Hamilton secured his third top-three start of the 2024 season, while out-qualifying Mercedes team-mate George Russell in successive races for the first time this term.

It is also the fourth consecutive year in which the 38-year-old will start on the second row at this track, where he feels the wet conditions worked to his advantage.

"When it rained, I knew that we would have a chance of being at the front because those are my preferred conditions," he said. 

"I think if it was dry, we would have been struggling to be in the top 10. I imagine it would have been tough. Then out there, timing was everything, getting out on track at the right point. I think we were a little bit too early at the end.

"We were first out, and that's when we used our new tyres, and then we didn't have any new tyres until the end and the three guys ahead did. So, a little bit unfortunate in that respect, but that's the way it is. But I'm grateful to be up there.

"The Red Bulls are much quicker than us here and the McLarens are much quicker than us here. The Ferraris, I think are there or thereabouts with us.

"Obviously, Max is going to make his way through because I think they are the quickest this weekend. So holding on to the podium is going to be a hell of a fight, but I'm ready for it."

Charles Leclerc was grateful for the wet weather that impacted Belgian Grand Prix qualifying as Max Verstappen's grid penalty handed him pole for Sunday's race.

Leclerc finished 0.6 seconds behind Verstappen at Spa, a stunning last lap of 1:53.754 seeing him leapfrog Sergio Perez into second.

That means he will start at the front of the grid at Spa for the second year in a row, with Verstappen taking a 10-place grid penalty after exceeding the maximum number of power units permitted throughout the season.

Perez will start second with Lewis Hamilton third, with McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in fourth and fifth one week on from their Hungarian Grand Prix one-two.

Speaking at the conclusion of the final session, Leclerc admitted the conditions had helped Ferrari exceed expectations but outlined his hope they can defend top spot.

"I definitely did not expect that this weekend," he said. "Obviously, with the tricky conditions, we could do something above our expectations.

"So it's a good day for the team, but now we need to focus on tomorrow and see what will happen when the rain is gone.

"Without this rain, probably P5 was the position we were fighting for with the Mercedes. With the rain, it helped us a little bit, but I'm not going to complain.

"I'm really happy, I'm really happy with the lap in Q3, and it's good to be back on the front part of the grid. Now we've got to finalise that tomorrow. Obviously, I'll try to keep that first place."

Verstappen also qualified fastest for the 2023 race in Spa, only for a five-place grid penalty to see him start in sixth.

He won from that position, though, and has 29 victories when not starting on pole – the fourth-most of any driver in Formula One history.

"I'm very happy," Verstappen said in his post-session interview. "The car was working quite well in the wet. I could just try to do clean lap times in the wet, which is always quite tricky.

"But tomorrow, of course, I know that it's quite a different day. It's going to be warmer, normally no rain, so it's all about tyre degradation. We just need to make sure we’re good on that.

"I know that I have to start 10 places back, so this was the best I could do today, and I go from there. I don't know how quick we're going to be. I hope we can be in the mix."

TOP 10

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

3. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

4. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

5. Lando Norris (McLaren)

6. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

7. George Russell (Mercedes)

8. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

9. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

10. Esteban Ocon (Alpine)

Lando Norris admitted he was "not comfortable" despite being fastest in the Belgian Grand Prix second practice.

McLaren finished first and second on Friday, with Norris finishing just 0.215 seconds ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri.

Max Verstappen finished third, but despite an impressive performance, his 10-place grid penalty will affect his result.

Norris finished second in the Hungarian Grand Prix last week, behind Piastri, in a race overshadowed by a radio spat between the Brit and the pit wall.

Having put that behind him, even after a confident practice session on Friday, Norris is not willing to rest on his laurels with Red Bull showing their threat.

"Red Bull are very quick at the minute," Norris said. "So, tricky, but I've just not felt very comfortable today with the car.

"So hopefully I just wake up [on Saturday] and feel a bit more comfortable with it. But we'll try and improve a few things and see again.

"I know it looked good on the timesheets, but I've not felt super comfortable in just going out and doing it. So, hopefully, I can just get in a bit more of a rhythm and feel a bit better out there."

Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton finished in 10th after struggling to match the pace set in the second session.

Mercedes have been credited for their improvement in recent weeks, with Hamilton winning at Silverstone before finishing third at Hungaroring last Sunday.

However, he was also left disappointed on Friday and said he was hoping for the forecast rain over the rest of the weekend to give the team more of an edge.

"It was a pretty bad day," Hamilton said.

"I don't really know what to say! Obviously, it's been feeling great in the past couple of races, but it just felt completely different today.

"We worked on it. The first session was not great, but then in the second session we made some changes, and it started off great, and then when I got to the soft tyre I just couldn't improve and there were a bunch of balance issues we had through the lap.

"It was better through this session, but everyone else went even better. So, to be 1.2s behind is not great.

"If it rains, then that opens it up a little bit and, hopefully, we can do a better job. I think the car should be better in the wet than it is in the dry."

Sergio Perez is confident he will still be at Red Bull after this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix regardless of the result.

There has been a lot of speculation over the Mexican's future in recent weeks following a series of poor results at recent races, despite him signing a two-year extension with the team just last month.

Since coming fourth at the Miami Grand Prix in May, Perez's best finish has been seventh, both in Austria and Hungary, and he failed to advance beyond Q1 in four of the last six races.

His drop in form has allowed McLaren to close the gap to Red Bull in the constructors' championship to just 51 points.

With the four-week break soon approaching, both RB driver Daniel Ricciardo and Red Bull's reserve driver Liam Lawson have been linked with Perez's seat.

However, the 34-year-old is certain he will still be competing alongside Max Verstappen when the season resumes.

"I am 100% sure," Perez said.

"Because I know basically what's in my contract and I know what the team trusts in me. And I know where is the main focus, which is on delivering on the track.

"It's no different to what it was in Hungary or [at the first race] in Bahrain or how it will be in Zandvoort or the rest of the year," Perez said.

"Every single weekend we've got to deliver the maximum, especially now that, with McLaren catching up in the constructors, it's really important to put everything together if we can achieve it.

"I'm not worried about it. Like I said, I know where I stand. That's not my concern. My only concern I have is to get my season back on track. The rest, I'm pretty chilled about."

McLaren chief executive Zak Brown has said meetings will take place to discuss whether to prioritise Lando Norris over Oscar Piastri for the remainder of the season. 

The issue arose following last week's Hungarian Grand Prix, which saw Piastri's maiden win in Formula One overshadowed by Norris' radio spat with the pit wall. 

Piastri had led much of the race before a bizarre pit-stop call by McLaren allowed Norris to take the lead, but was ordered to give the lead back to his team-mate. 

Norris initially refused to do so, but with three laps remaining, handed the place back to the Australian as McLaren secured a first one-two since Monza in 2021. 

Piastri's win at the Hungaroring made him the seventh different winner in 2024. It is the 16th different year with at least seven winners, the first since 2012 (eight).

But one of Norris' protestations before giving the position back was his battle with Max Verstappen in the Driver's Championship. 

Despite scoring his eighth podium of the season in Hungary, the Brit remains 76 points behind the three-time world champion. 

Brown, who wasn't on the pit wall in Hungary but is back for this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, said the decision would ultimately fall to team principal Andrea Stella.

He told Sky Sports F1: "That's ultimately going to be Andrea's call. We want to get through the first half of the season, see where we end up this weekend.

"I think the Constructors' Championship, while it's definitely not going to be easy, is well within reach.

"I think the challenge on the drivers' front is Max's bad days are second and third places, so (it's difficult) to make those claw backs that we're making on the constructors' that we can do because (Sergio) Perez is struggling at the moment, we also know he's capable of turning it on at any moment.

"That will be something I think we discuss over the summer break."

McLaren's recent pace and form has seen them have a driver on the podium in the last nine races, cutting the gap to Red Bull in the Constructor's Championship. 

The British team have another excellent opportunity to cut the gap in Spa, with Norris' championship rival Verstappen receiving a 10-place grid penalty for Sunday's race by exceeding his engine allowance for the season.

But the Dutchman topped the first practice on Friday, with Piastri finishing 0.531 seconds behind with Norris down in ninth, 0.512secs off his McLaren team-mate.

And Verstappen's showing has left Brown refusing to rule out the possibility of the three-time world champion claiming an eighth win of the season. 

"It's a tricky track with how much downforce you want versus speed," Brown said.

"You have to assume Max is on for pole, which is P11.

"It would be a big mistake to think he can't go from P11 to P1 but we have to take every advantage you can."

Max Verstappen's 10-place grid penalty for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix was confirmed as he took a new power unit in practice at Spa-Francorchamps on Friday.

Under Formula One's regulations, drivers are permitted to use a maximum of four internal combustion engines (ICEs) throughout the 2024 campaign.

Verstappen took his fifth new ICE of the year for Friday's first practice session, triggering the automatic penalty for Sunday's race. 

He proceeded to set the pace in first practice with a fastest lap of 1:43.372, going half a second faster than Oscar Piastri, who won the Hungarian Grand Prix last week.

The three-time world champion will also drop five places if he takes a new ICE at any other race this year. 

RB's Yuki Tsunoda, meanwhile, will start at the back of the grid in Belgium after taking a fifth ICE as well as additional engine parts.

With his penalty confirmed, Verstappen will now be desperate to perform in qualifying, having only taken pole at one of the last six races. 

He did, however, win the recent Spanish and Canadian Grands Prix when not starting at the front. His 29 race victories when not starting on pole are the fourth-most by any driver in F1 history.

The penalty does represent an almighty blow to Verstappen's hopes of avoiding a third straight race without winning, though. 

He last went more consecutive races without a victory in 2020, failing to win in 11 outings from Spain to Sakhir.   

Lewis Hamilton was left surprised by the stewards' interpretation of his clash with Max Verstappen at the Hungarian Grand Prix last week. 

Hamilton, who finished in third at the Hungaroring to claim a 200th podium finish, was involved in an incident with the reigning world champion on lap 63 in Budapest. 

The pair made contact heading into Turn One, with the Dutchman attempting to go up the inside but in doing so locked up his front tyres, briefly sending him into the air. 

Although neither driver was penalised for the incident, the stewards suggested that the seven-time world champion could have done more to avoid the collision. 

"I was really, really surprised by it," said the Mercedes driver of the full stewards' judgement, which was issued several hours after the end of the race.

"I think already I was very relaxed about the situation and just saying 'look, it's just a racing incident, let's just move on'.

"But considering one car was in control and one car was not in control at the time - obviously when all the wheels are locked, you're not in control - and if you look at the replay at the end of the move I'm very, very far from the apex, so there's a lot of room on the right-hand side.

"So I was very, very surprised by the stewards. I don't know who typed it up but… that will be a question when I speak to them at some stage."

Verstappen, who has the opportunity to become the third driver to win four times in a row at Spa this weekend, endured a difficult race last time out. 

The Dutchman finished in fifth in Budapest and is without a win in his last four races, the last time he failed to win four meetings was back in 2020. 

His frustrations at the Hungaroring boiled over, repeatedly expressing his frustration and anger at his team's strategy and his car's performance over the radio.

"You have to be a team leader, a team member," said Hamilton. 

"Maybe not such a team leader, just always remember you are a team-mate with lots of people and you have to act like a world champion."

When asked to elaborate on that latter point, Hamilton replied: "That is a good question… Not like it was last weekend."

Hamilton, who has won the Belgium Grand Prix four times in his career, arrives at Spa full of confidence following his recent displays. 

Having endured a difficult start to the season, but three podium places in his last four races, including ending his 945-day wait for a win following a record ninth triumph at Silverstone, has seen the Brit back to his best. 

Mercedes remain fourth in the Constructor's Championship, but have closed the gap to Ferrari to 81 points, with upgrades expected on their car this weekend, including a new front wing, floor and beam wing, something that has excited Hamilton. 

"I still feel so much youth, am energised, driven and love working with the team.

"We have got some upgrades this weekend, so I can't wait to see how that feels on the track. Hopefully it's another step in the right direction and I'm excited for the next part of the season."

Max Verstappen has hit back at critics following his radio frustration during the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Verstappen, who has won each of the last three races at the Belgian Grand Prix, which comes up this weekend, became increasingly frustrated at the Hungaroring last week as he finished in fifth place following a coming together with Lewis Hamilton late on.

The three-time reigning Formula One world champion is set for a 10-place grid penalty at Spa this weekend after exceeding his engine allowance for the season. 

Verstappen has not won any of the last three races, and has seen his lead at the top of the Driver's Championship cut to 76 points by Lando Norris.

The Dutchman's recent frustrations boiled over in Hungary, spiralling into an X-rated rant at Red Bull engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.

But Verstappen has no regrets.

"People that don't like my language, don't listen in or change the volume down. I'm very driven for success. I've proven that already," said Verstappen.

"I always want to optimise stuff. People can argue that you might not be so vocal on the radio, but that's their opinion.

"My opinion is that it needs to be said at the time to maybe also try and force [things]. That's how it goes.

"We are very open-minded. We are very critical of each other as a team, and that's been working for us very well, so I don't expect that to change."

The last time Verstappen failed to win in four races in a row was in the 2020 season, but Red Bull are showing signs of vulnerability.

And he will face an enormous task to triumph for a 62nd time in the competition, although he is ranked as the fourth driver in F1 history with the most wins without starting from the front of the grid (29). 

Verstappen made light work of the power unit components penalty he sustained at the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix, making his way from 14th to win the race. 

Should he emerge victorious this time around, he will become only the third driver to win four in a row on Belgian soil after Ayrton Senna (1988 to 1991) and Jim Clark (1962 to 1965). 

"If you look at our last few races where we haven't particularly been the fastest, I wouldn't say that with 10 places extra, we have a chance of winning," said Verstappen.

"But a race can always be turned upside down with moments, so you have to be open-minded, try to make the best of it and that's all we will try to do.

"We also don't know how competitive we will be. There's new tarmac, so we need to see how the tyres respond to that as well.

"There's a lot of unknowns with the weather too. Quite a bit of rain is expected tomorrow and Saturday, so we need to follow the weather and our progression this weekend to see how competitive we are."

DRIVERS TO WATCH

Charles Leclerc - Ferrari

Despite being beaten in both qualifying and the main event in each of the last two races by team-mate Carlos Sainz, Leclerc will be keen to get points on the board in Belgium. 

Leclerc has not been among the podium places since his maiden triumph at Monaco in May, but the omens are in his favour with the Italian team achieving more victories (14), more pole positions (12) and more podiums (41) at Spa. 

Ferrari have enjoyed recent races in Belgium, taking pole in the last two editions, with Leclerc doing so in 2023.

Should they repeat the trick, it will be the second time they have done so after 1974 (Clay Regazzoni at Nivelles), 1975 and 1976 (Niki Lauda in both at Zolder).

Leclerc and Sainz will contest their 79th race as Ferrari team-mates, making them the seventh-highets pair with the most races with the same team in F1, surpassing the 78 of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg for Mercedes.

Lando Norris - McLaren

While a radio spat of his own at the Hungarian Grand Prix overshadowed an eighth podium place of the season, Norris will be eyeing another impressive run at Spa.

And he now has a fantastic opportunity to close the gap on Verstappen.

The Brit has taken pole position in two of the last four races, after taking just one in his previous 113 starts in F1.

Excluding Hamilton, who did it twice in 2012, Norris could be the first McLaren driver to take back-to-back pole positions since Kimi Raikkonen in 2006 (Germany and Hungary).

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Drivers

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 265
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 189
3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 162
4. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) - 154
5. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 149

Constructors

1. Red Bull - 389
2. McLaren - 338
3. Ferrari - 322
4. Mercedes - 241
5. Aston Martin - 69

Lando Norris admits he is "not too proud" of the way he overshadowed team-mate Oscar Piastri's first Formula One victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix last weekend.

Piastri led Norris in a McLaren one-two at the Hungaroring, though the Brit did not allow his team-mate back into the lead following the pit stops until the very end of the race, despite being ordered over team radio to do so.

The incident cast a shadow over McLaren's first one-two since the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, at which Norris was second to Daniel Ricciardo.

After the controversy, Piastri became the seventh different race winner in F1 this season. Only 11 seasons have ever seen more – 11 in 1982, nine in 1975, and eight in 1977, 1983, 1985, 2003 and 2012.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix, Norris acknowledged he had regrets, saying: "Could it have been handled slightly differently from both the team side and a personal side? 

"Yes, absolutely, and I think we wouldn't have been having this conversation now in some ways.

"Whether people on the outside are going to come up with their own stories of what happened and what I would and wouldn't have done, I don't mind that.

"The things that I could have done, the fact that I kind of clouded over Oscar's first race win in Formula One is something I've not felt too proud about.

"The fact we had a one-two and that was barely a headline after the race… The fact we had a one-two and nothing was really said about it, that's the bit I felt worst about."

Norris has taken pole position in two of the last four races (in Spain and Hungary) after doing so just once in his previous 113 starts. 

Excluding Lewis Hamilton, who achieved the feat twice with the team in 2012, Norris could become the first McLaren driver to take back-to-back poles since Kimi Raikkonen in 2006 this weekend.

Norris does feel coming through the incident could make McLaren stronger as a team, adding: "We discussed it, we have spoken about it. 

"It's not good that we had it, but it's a good thing we've had it at the same time, because we've learned from it and hopefully it's done better next time."