F1 Sprint Results: Lewis Hamilton hits new Ferrari LOW as Max Verstappen schools McLaren at Belgian Grand Prix

Reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen put in a fantastic defensive display at Spa to win Saturday's Belgian Grand Prix sprint race.

The Dutchman overtook Oscar Piastri into Les Combes on the first lap after setting his car up with a very skinny rear wing, giving him the speed to pass the Australian without even the use of DRS.

Piastri spent the majority of the race's 15 laps within DRS race of the speedy Red Bull, but Verstappen rarely looked truly troubled as he utilised his straight line speed to great effect.

Lando Norris dropped back in the early laps after being passed by Charles Leclerc in the early laps, before catching back up to pester his team-mate and Verstappen to no avail in the late stages.

Further down the field, Lewis Hamilton's miserable weekend continued as he failed to scythe through the field from his low grid position, finishing just 15th behind the Aston Martin pair of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso.

That result is Hamilton's worst for his new team, the first time outside of disqualification in the Chinese Grand Prix that he's finished outside the top 10 in sprint or feature races.

F1 Sprint Race Results: Belgian Grand Prix 2025

Who is the current F1 world champion?

Max Verstappen is the reigning F1 champion, won his fourth drivers' championship last year.

2025 rule change removes fastest lap point

Fastest lap points have been banished for 2025. Since 2019, drivers have picked up an extra point if they finish in the top 10 and achieve the fastest lap.

However, it did lead to some drivers abandoning their races to pit and fit a set of new tyres at the end in order to claim the fastest lap point, or to stop a rival from getting the extra point.

The most famous example of this in 2024 came during Daniel Ricciardo's final F1 race, when the Australian finished last but claimed the fastest lap on the final lap of the Singapore GP, taking the extra point away from Lando Norris and helping Max Verstappen's title bid.

F1 HEADLINES: Verstappen ‘STAYING’ at Red Bull as star denies Mercedes contract conspiracy

READ MORE: F1 star ruled out BEFORE race at Belgian Grand Prix

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