Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 19Belgian Grand Prix Starts With 5 Drivers on Hards at Spa
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 19Summary
- Spa-Francorchamps got underway with most of the Formula One field choosing medium C3 tyres for the opening stint.
- Five drivers broke from that majority—Lando Norris, Sergio Perez, Isack Hadjar, Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso started on hards.
- Carlos Sainz and Valtteri Bottas took the opposite gamble on softs, leaving three different opening strategies in play from the lights.
Insights
With hard tyres now degrading fastest, what is the secret strategy behind Norris and Perez's gamble at Spa? Have the 2026 rules made F1 tyre choice pointless by nearly equalizing compound performance? Can Spa's infamous weather and powerful undercut defy the new one-stop race meta?