Belgian Grand Prix: Stage Preview

      The upcoming Belgian Grand Prix is the last under the current contract. The event promoters have signed a new contract with FOM to host the race in 2026, 2027, 2029, and 2031, while in 2028 and 2030 the event will be replaced by another European Grand Prix. The specific location has not yet been decided. Any rumors suggesting it could be Catalonia or the Netherlands currently make little sense.

      This year marks a jubilee for Spa. Exactly 100 years ago, the first race for open-wheel cars took place at Spa. It was held on June 28, 1925, and was won by Antonio Ascari driving an Alfa Romeo—father of Alberto Ascari, who later won two World Championships with Ferrari in 1952 and 1953.

      This year’s Belgian Grand Prix will also be a milestone—its 70th in history—yet the legendary Spa circuit will host only the 58th Grand Prix. The event has been held ten times in Zolder, where in 1982 Gilles Villeneuve tragically died in the final moments of qualifying, and twice in Nivelles. Spa has historically faced challenges with promoters, but conditions in neighboring France and Germany have been even worse. Nonetheless, Spa enjoys excellent attendance.

      The first half of the season was tense and eventful, but that chapter is now closed, and Formula 1 is eagerly awaiting the summer break. The back-to-back races in Belgium and Hungary won’t fundamentally decide the championship, but they are highly competitive and exciting from a sporting perspective.

      This year, Spa will host a sprint race on Saturday, further increasing the spectacle. With the youth series races included, we can expect perhaps the most exciting race weekend of the season.

      At Spa, Christian Horner will not be on the Red Bull Racing team pit wall. In January 2005, he was appointed team principal—in only his 32nd year, becoming the youngest F1 team boss in history. What followed was an incredibly successful story full of victories, titles, and various scandals, which ended on the same day twenty years later.

      During Horner’s leadership, Red Bull Racing drivers amassed 8,009 points, started from pole 107 times, set 100 fastest laps, achieved 124 wins and 31 doubles, stood on the podium 287 times, and won 14 constructors’ championships (4 with Vettel, 4 with Verstappen, and 6 with the team).

      In July 2025, Horner was dismissed. The competition for control of the team, which started in 2022 after the death of Dietrich Mateschitz, Horner lost despite being a clear favorite. He was defeated by Helmut Marko. This was a battle between two former drivers who achieved far greater success behind the scenes than on the track. Nonetheless, Marko won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and participated in five Grands Prix, whereas Horner’s career at that time was limited to F3000.

      Marko is already over eighty—by the end of this season or the next, he will inevitably retire. Likely, Horner’s dismissal was also influenced by a desire to prevent him from exercising sole authority, which he had long desired. Removing Horner after Marko’s departure would be extremely difficult considering Marko’s political influence and reputation. Red Bull’s owners prefer to see team leaders and division heads who can be easily held accountable for results and replaced if necessary.

      **Team Leaders’ Ages in the 2025 Season**

      | Team | Leader | Age |

      |-----------------|---------------------|-------|

      | Alpine | Flavio Briatore | 75 |

      | Racing Bulls | Alan Permain | 58 |

      | Ferrari | Frederic Vasseur | 57 |

      | Aston Martin | Andy Cowell | 56 |

      | McLaren | Andrea Stella | 54 |

      | Mercedes | Toto Wolff | 53 |

      | Haas F1 | Ayo Komatsu | 49 |

      | Red Bull | Laurent Mekies | 48 |

      | Williams | James Vowles | 46 |

      Horner is currently 51 years old—slightly younger than the average team principal age this season. There is no doubt he will continue his career in motorsport. He knows this sport’s inner workings and has extensive insight into Red Bull’s technical and strategic secrets.

      The racing world also knows well who Horner is. For Red Bull’s owners, his flaws outweigh his strengths, but he could be suitable for another employer—perhaps Briatore.

      There’s no doubt that before the season ends, we will learn the new role and racing suit Christian Horner will appear in next. And the complex situation at Red Bull Racing will be addressed by Laurent Mekies—second oldest among the youngest team bosses this season. The story develops in a spiral, with the next chapter beginning at Spa.

      Mekies is capable of handling it. The question is what goals will be set for him. It could be very far to the next title, and whether he is needed for advertising energy drinks remains to be seen. Nothing more than Horner achieved is likely to be attainable.

      Over the weekend at Spa, there will be discussions about the tragic death of young Dilan van't Hoff during a rain-soaked FRECA race, as well as recollections of 2019 when Formula 2 driver Antoine Hubert died in a similar situation on the same track section.

      Probably, racing in the rain at Spa should be avoided altogether, as was essentially the case when the 2021 Formula 1 race was canceled after drivers only completed one lap. Support races, however, attract audiences during breaks between main events and are therefore tightly scheduled. They must be held because athletes or their sponsors pay for participation. In this case, the matter isn’t Spa itself, but strict safety enforcement by the FIA.

      The forecast for the weekend again predicts rain.