Formula 1 Moet & Chandon Belgian Grand Prix
Location: Francorchamps, Belgium
Course: Circuit de Spa Francorchamps
Course Length: 7.00 km
Laps: 44
Belgian Grand Prix Race Preview
McLaren's Lando Norris kept the team's 2025 success rolling last time out with a victory in his home race. Teammate Oscar Piastri started on the front row and looked to have the race in hand until an infringement under the safety car led to a penalty, which put Norris ahead. Norris now has two consecutive victories but remains behind Piastri in the championship standings. The series gets back to action this week with back-to-back races before the annual summer break. However, after a few weeks of quiet on track, the off-track news has been anything but. Red Bull Racing shook the paddock with the immediate dismissal of team boss Christian Horner following the British Grand Prix. His departure came after many months of rumors of unrest in the organization, but the timing was still somewhat surprising with two races remaining before the summer break. As it stands, Laurent Mekies of Racing Bulls has been promoted to fill Horner's vacancy, but the swirl of speculation about series champion Max Verstappen's future with the team has only intensified. This week's Belgian Grand Prix will be the first on-track action with Red Bull's shuffled leadership, and the impacts to their performance are sure to be under the microscope.
Key Stats at Circuit de Spa Francorchamps
- Races: 61
- Winners from pole: 21
- Winners from top-5 starters: 50
- Winners from top-10 starters: 58
- Fastest Race: 241.345 kph
Previous 10 Spa Francorchamps Winners
2024 - Lewis Hamilton
2023 - Max Verstappen
2022 - Max Verstappen
2021 - Max Verstappen
2020 - Lewis Hamilton
2019 - Charles Leclerc
2018 - Sebastian Vettel
2017 - Lewis Hamilton
2016 - Nico Rosberg
2015 - Lewis Hamilton
Circuit Spa Francorchamps is one of the classic Formula 1 venues. The track was originally built in 1921 using public roads to create the long and daunting track. The version the series races on today was largely redeveloped in 1979, but continues to be the longest circuit on the calendar. Spa is a track loved by drivers and spectators alike with its challenging elevation, blind corners, and mixture of various speed corners. The track demands the best from car and driver alike, which is why a victory at Spa has always been a coveted one. Among the track's unique challenges is its climate. Races have often been impacted by rain or varying conditions throughout the race weekend, and adapting to the ever changing conditions adds to the level of difficulty. As usual, rain is in the forecast for this week's race, too. However, if dry, Pirelli is bringing a different mixture of tire compounds in an effort to create a bigger gap in performance characteristics between the choices. The non-consecutive compound choices could impact pit strategy for Sunday's race. This weekend is also a sprint weekend, which means teams must use their practice time wisely to get through their scheduled programs and determine the best setups for qualifying and racing.
RotoWire Formula 1 DFS Tools
DraftKings Value Picks for the Belgian Grand Prix
Based on Standard $50K Salary Cap
DraftKings Tier 1 Values
Lando Norris - $13,400
Oscar Piastri - $13,000
George Russell - $10,000
DraftKings Tier 2 Values
Charles Leclerc - $9,600
Kimi Antonelli - $7,000
Pierre Gasly - $6,400
Fernando Alonso - $5,600
DraftKings Tier 3 Values
Alex Albon - $5,200
Isack Hadjar - $4,400
Yuki Tsunoda - $3,800
Lance Stroll - $3,600
DraftKings Constructor Values
McLaren - $16,300
Ferrari - $9,800
Mercedes - $9,300
Formula 1 DFS Picks for the Belgian Grand Prix
Captain – Pierre Gasly - $9,600
George Russell - $10,000
Fernando Alonso - $5,600
Isack Hadjar - $4,400
Esteban Ocon - $4,000
Constructor- McLaren - $16,300
Given Spa's potential for unpredictable weather and strategy, fantasy players may want to consider a lineup that includes some gambles. The first of these in this week's picks is Pierre Gasly as captain. I believe Oscar Piastri will win this week's race, but the margin between him and teammate Lando Norris is still extremely tight. Instead of putting all of my eggs in Piastri's basket, I'd prefer to save some salary space by going with McLaren as Constructor to take advantage of both Piastri and Norris while stretching a bit at captain with Gasly. Spa is one of Gasly's favorite tracks and he has finished 12th or better there in six of seven series starts. He is often able to take advantage of unpredictable weather and back-of-the-field chaos to move forward, and Alpine has gained ground with their recent upgrades. This combination, coupled with the potential for difficult weather conditions through the weekend, put Gasly in position to exceed expectations.
My longshot pick for winner this week is George Russell. The Mercedes car has shown exceptional pace in cooler conditions, and rain this weekend could favor their entry. Russell crossed the finish line at Spa first last season but was subsequently disqualified after being found to be underweight. Bullet-proof strategy, cooler conditions, and changeable weather, not to mention Russell's desire to right last year's results, make him a strong contender. Spa is also a driver's track, and there are not many better driver's drivers than Fernando Alonso. He finished ninth or better in this race the last three seasons, and Aston Martin is bringing their last big upgrades of the season to this race. If those work, Alonso could be poised for another top finish at the track.
Further down the order, Isack Hadjar continues to impress in the Racing Bulls car. Like Aston Martin, the team is bringing their last major upgrades of the season to this week's race. Hadjar, sitting 11th in points, has now gone two races without adding to his tally, but upgrades in hand should give him a more level playing field than the past few weeks. We've already seen this season his potential to consistently score points, and those should be back within his reach at Belgium where he won in the F2 series. Hadjar's championship rival Esteban Ocon rounds out the selections for Belgium. The Haas driver finished ninth in this race last season with Alpine and has scored points in five races so far this season with Haas. He finished fifth in this race in 2020 and hasn't finished lower than ninth at the track since 2016. This is a track Ocon has performed well at, and can offer fantasy players the potential of more championship points.
Formula 1 Betting Picks for the Belgian Grand Prix
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook as of 12:30 PM ET Friday
Winner - George Russell +1800
Podium Finish - George Russell +250
Winning Constructor - McLaren -300
Winner Without - Pierre Gasly +550
Cooler temperatures, consistently good strategy, and changeable conditions are the making for a Mercedes upset this weekend at Belgium. While McLaren is the favorite to win, those looking for better value should consider Russell. He was the winner of this race last season before being disqualified for a weight infraction, and the weekend's weather could play into the team's hands just as it did in Canada. While overcoming McLaren will be a huge challenge, Russell and Mercedes have shown this season that, under the right conditions, they are up to the task. Those looking for a little less risk than selecting him as winner can still get decent value by choosing him for a podium finish. In this wager, the biggest question to be answered is how much Ferrari's upgrades have improved their car. There is a lot of optimism from the Italian camp, but Spa's tricky conditions could also nullify any progress gained this week.
As I stated earlier, Oscar Piastri and McLaren are my top choices to win this week. Instead of going all in on one of two drivers that are quite evenly matched, wagerers may want to consider McLaren as winning constructor. While the McLaren car has undoubtedly been the one to beat all season, choosing which of the two drivers will have the upper hand any given week is more of a guessing game. For that reason, this week I would recommend accepting the negative odds to get both drivers earning a payout for winning Sunday.
Finally, an unpredictable race should enable some jumble in the back of the field. One driver that consistently takes advantage of such opportunities is Pierre Gasly. Alpine is on an upswing and even a small amount of movement mid-pack could put him in position for a strong race. Gasly has four points finishes so far this season, and this weekend could shape up to be his fifth with a strong showing as best of the rest if Sunday's race unfolds as expected with weather impacts.
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