Campos on top. Verschoor in form. Spa-Francorchamps ready to bite.
After a short breather, the Formula 2 paddock storms back into action this weekend at one of motorsport’s most iconic venues: Spa-Francorchamps. With the 2025 season entering its ninth round, and just two weekends left before the summer break, there’s no room for hesitation. The championship fight is wide open, and so is the weather forecast.
The layout and the challenge
Spa’s 7.004 km layout is the longest on the calendar and arguably the most complex. It blends flat-out sectors, like Eau Rouge into the Kemmel Straight, with tight technical sections like the middle sector’s Fagnes and Rivage. That split identity forces teams into a compromise setup. Low downforce for top speed, but just enough grip to hang on through Pouhon and Blanchimont.
Fuel usage and brake wear are expected to be high, and tyre strategy is wide open. Soft and Medium compounds return, as per the official compound allocation. Weather, as always, could intervene. Last year’s Feature Race saw a near 50/50 strategic split. Soft to Medium and Medium to Soft, both viable depending on temperatures.
F2 Technical Director Pierre-Alain Michot reinforced the complexity:
“Fuel consumption will be quite high this weekend, as will braking demands… Sector 2 is where a lot of lap time can be won or lost, especially in qualifying.”
Verschoor: the man to beat
Championship leader Richard Verschoor (MP Motorsport) has reason to feel confident heading into Belgium. He’s the only three-time winner in 2025. Sprint Race wins in Bahrain and Spielberg, plus the Feature Race in Silverstone. He’s also historically strong at Spa.
“Spa is one of the best circuits,” Verschoor said. “You have some interesting DRS zones… but keeping the car close through Eau Rouge can be tricky, so tactically it’s interesting. I’ve always been strong in the races there.”
He arrives on 122 points, just ahead of Jak Crawford (116) and Alexander Dunne (108). Leonardo Fornaroli (104) and Luke Browning (98) complete the top five. The gaps are small, and with Spa’s history of unpredictable running, this weekend could trigger another major shake-up.
Campos vs DAMS: teams’ battle tightens
Campos Racing leads the Teams’ Championship on 153 points, just 11 clear of DAMS Lucas Oil (142). Both squads are tied on four wins each in 2025. Hitech TGR (141) is only one point behind DAMS, making this the closest top-three battle of the season so far.
Campos will be hoping for another Spa breakthrough. In 2024, Isack Hadjar won the Feature Race for the Spanish outfit from P3, while Zak O’Sullivan claimed Sprint Race honours for ART Grand Prix.
And don’t forget, no pole-sitter has won the Spa Feature Race since 2020 (Yuki Tsunoda). Recent winners have all come from further back, reaffirming how grid position alone doesn’t define the weekend in Belgium.
Schedule and format
All session times are local (GMT+2):
Friday 25 July
• Free Practice – 10:10
• Qualifying – 14:55
Saturday 26 July
• Sprint Race – 13:45
• 18 laps / 125.948 km
• Grid: Reverse Top 10 from Qualifying
Sunday 27 July
• Feature Race – 10:00
• 25 laps / 174.976 km
• Grid: Qualifying order
By the numbers
Average qualifying gap between P1 and P2 in 2025: 0.077s – closest in F2 history over the first eight rounds.
Top speed at Spa: 331.1 km/h by Nikita Mazepin in 2020.
Lap record: 1:56.054 by Nyck de Vries in 2018 (PREMA).
2024 pole: 1:56.959 by Paul Aron (Hitech Pulse-Eight).
Most Spa poles: PREMA Racing, with three (Leclerc 2017, De Vries 2018, Bearman 2023).
Forecast: chaos incoming?
Spa wouldn’t be Spa without a curveball from the skies. Rain is in the forecast. That could elevate Mediums in cooler temps, or favour Softs if the track stays dry and hot. Either way, this weekend is shaping up to be a pivotal moment in the title race.