Preview

The circus of formula 1 returns to the longest circuit on the calendar for 44 laps of high speed action with strategy calls sprinkled into the mixture for the exciting start of the double header. The most successful constructors at this track and of all time, Ferrari look to continue their form after winning 2 of the last 3 races and add to the 18 wins they already have at this track while the championship leader Kimi Antonelli hopes to extend his 25 point gap over teammate and rival for the title George Russell.

With the new 2026 regulations, 5 new straight modes have been added to the circuit giving drivers plenty of opportunities for overtaking . Similar to the old DRS system,straight mode involves the front and rear wings to flatten out which reduces drag and this can be at the drivers disposal no matter the gap to the driver ahead. Given the amount of these straight mode zones,Mercedes will be heading into the weekend as the perceived favourites as over the course of this season they have shown to have an advantage in energy use and straight line efficiency. Their superior power unit will give them an edge on being able to maximise their speed while retaining their battery life through the technical middle sector. While Ferrari seem to have brought the fight to Mercedes over the past few races they lack the straight line speed as of Mercedes but they are working on ways to close the gap to the silver arrows with motorsport.com reporting that the prancing horses are removing their FTM system which is responsible for capturing hot exhaust gases and redirecting them up and over the rear wing supposedly generating more downforce.  By removing this,Ferrari are hopeful it will add an extra seven horsepower which will help their straight line speed.

Red Bull and Mclaren both hope to bounce back back and close the gap to the top 2 this weekend after both having their struggles at Silverstone.  However Mclaren team principal Andrea Stella believes Mclaren will struggle due to the energy starving nature of the track.  Speaking with the media Stella stated that "there will be some challenges in terms of power unit exploitation.  It will be about energy deployment for sure.There are some areas in which you will not be able to deploy straight mode because there are some fully tropical areas". This is referring to the long flat out straights that drains the MGU-K and causes the engine temps to spike. This will affect the amount of power that can be deployed and in turn affect the overall top speed which will affect performance.

After the disappointing end of British Grand Prix for Red Bull and Max Verstappen which saw him crash out from P3 bringing out the safety car they hope to turn around the horrid luck that has plaguing Verstappen's side of the garage. Belgian born Verstappen will be hoping for a good result in front of the orange army who will be travelling in their thousands to see the 4 time world champion light up the track. This race will also be important for Red bull to show to Max before the summer break hat he should stay with the team after rumours of him making a move to Mclaren have been heating up. The Belgian Grand Prix will be the first race of an important double header for Red Bull as after the Hungarian Grand Prix the summer break will be upon us and with that the notorious release clause in Verstappen's  contract will be in play giving him the option to leave if a better offer comes his way so it will be vital for Red Bull to be competitive in the next 2 races.