Spa: Ferrari bets on Lewis Hamilton.
The latest results of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton have given fresh encouragement to the Ferrari team. And the Maranello squad is reportedly convinced that the time has come to prioritize the driver in the fight for the title. This weekend, at Spa-Francorchamps, the 10th round of the championship, Hamilton will definitively be the team’s number 1 driver. After an 8th place finish at Silverstone, Gabriel Bortoleto views the race with optimism. The Belgian GP will be held this Sunday at 10 am (Brasília time), broadcast by TV Globo, Sportv 3, Globoplay, and BandNews FM. On Saturday, qualifying will be at 11 am (Sportv 3 and Globoplay).
Based on the last 5 races – Canada, Monaco, Spain, Austria, and Great Britain – Lewis Hamilton was the one who scored the most points, namely: Hamilton (96), Kimi Antonelli (79), George Russell (74), Max Verstappen (50), Charles Leclerc (49). Furthermore, Hamilton, alongside Russell, has claimed 5 podiums, trailing only Antonelli (7). In the history of races at Spa, Hamilton sits alongside Ayrton Senna with 5 victories, trailing only Michael Schumacher (6).
Bortoleto described the evolution of the Audi car in the last race as ‘moderate progress’ and is confident about returning to the points zone at Spa. The driver is responsible for the only 6 points the squad has scored so far. Nico Hulkenberg has yet to score points, just like Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas, and Lance Stroll.
The Spa layout, with its long straights and constant acceleration sections, will be a challenge for energy management. Depending on the situation, at times some drivers may have to rely solely on the combustion engine. The weather forecast, as always, indicates the possibility of rain.
Spa kicks off the rotation with Barcelona this year. The race will be held in odd-numbered years, alternating with the Catalunya race which will be on the calendar in even-numbered years, therefore guaranteed for 2028.
The 2026 F1 World Championship is still pending decisions regarding potential replacement races for Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. With the escalation of the political situation in the region, the Qatar and Abu Dhabi rounds are also at some risk.
Meanwhile, the last few days have seen intense behind-the-scenes activity already aimed at next year’s championship. The most recent speculations involve the transfer of Max Verstappen to McLaren, Oscar Piastri or Oliver Bearman to Red Bull, and Carlos Sainz Jr. taking Nico Hulkenberg’s seat at Audi. Mercedes and Ferrari are on track to keep their current pairings. Franco Colapinto, in turn, is being pressured by Alpine for better results. Rafael Câmara, the Brazilian F2 and Ferrari Academy driver, continues to have a good chance of taking a seat at Haas (which uses Ferrari engines).