F1 2025 Standings: Lewis Hamilton loses more ground in Ferrari battle as Max Verstappen narrows gap

Lewis Hamilton lost yet more ground on Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc at the Belgian Grand Prix this weekend.

Saturday's sprint race saw the Brit fail to meaningfully improve on his spin-affected grid slot, finishing well out of the points in 15th while his team-mate took a comfortable fourth place and the five points that went with it.

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen's impressive defensive performance saw him hold off Oscar Piastri for nearly 15 full laps to snatch maximum points, bringing him narrowly back toward the title battle which looks to be leaving him behind.

For his part, the single extra point Piastri took for finishing second to Lando Norris' third could prove crucial in what looks like being an incredibly close fight for the championship.

Further down the table, points finishes for both of Haas' drivers left them just a single point away from catching Aston Martin for eighth in the constructors' championship, and just one more from matching Racing Bulls.

F1 Drivers' Standings after 2025 Belgian Grand Prix sprint race

F1 Constructors' Standings after 2025 Belgian Grand Prix sprint

2025 rule change removes fastest lap point

The fastest lap point has been removed for the 2025 season. Since 2019, drivers have picked up an extra point if they finish in the top 10 and achieve the fastest lap.

However, in the past, this led to some drivers abandoning their races to pit and fit a new set of tyres in the final stages of the race in order to claim the fastest lap point or prevent a rival from getting the extra point, playing the tactical long game in the championship standings.

The most famous example of this last season 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 Norris and helping Verstappen's 2024 title bid.

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

QUALIFYING RESULTS: Hamilton in DOUBLE Belgian GP embarrassment as McLaren dominate

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