F1 travels straight from the Hungarian GP to Spa-Francorchamps to conclude a frantic period of four races in five weeks.
The Belgian GP will run the sprint race format, last used at the Austrian GP at the start of July, which means more points and prizes are on offer.
However, it will require someone stopping Max Verstappen and Red Bull which have become an unstoppable force lately.
Fresh from a flawless victory in Hungary, which was the Dutch diver’s seventh in a row and also saw Red Bull break the record for most consecutive F1 wins with 12, Verstappen now leads the F1 world championship standings by 110 points from team-mate Sergio Perez.
McLaren, meanwhile, will aim to maintain its upturn in form that has seen Lando Norris secure back-to-back podiums for the first time in his F1 career.
With another F1 sprint weekend, it means qualifying for the grand prix takes place on Friday afternoon, as Saturday becomes a standalone sprint qualifying and sprint race.
Full 2023 Belgian GP session timings
Friday 28 July 2023
Free Practice 1: 12:30pm-1:30pm BST (1:30pm-2:30pm local)
Qualifying: 4:00pm-5:00pm BST (5:00pm-6:00pm local)
Saturday 29 July 2023
Sprint Qualifying: 11:00am-11:44am BST (12:00pm-12:44pm local)
Sprint Race: 3:30pm-4:30pm BST (4:30pm-5:30pm local)
Sunday 23 July 2023
Race: 2:00pm BST (3:00pm local)
How can I watch Formula 1?
In the United Kingdom Formula 1 is only broadcast live on Sky Sports, with highlights shown on Channel 4 several hours after the race has finished. Live streaming through NOW is also available in the UK.
Sky Sports F1, which broadcasts the F1 races, can be added as part of the Sky Sports channels which costs £24 a month for new customers. Sky Sports can also be accessed through NOW with a one-off day payment of £11.98p or a month membership of £34.99p per month.
Fans wanting to watch highlights of the race for free will have to wait until the Saturday night (qualifying) or Sunday night (grand prix) on Channel 4.
How can I watch the Belgian GP?
- Channel: Sky Sports F1
- Channel numbers - Sky: 406
- Channel numbers - Virgin Media: 506
Sky Sports has live broadcasting rights in the United Kingdom, with the build-up to the F1 Belgian GP race starting from 12:30pm on Sky Sports F1 ahead of lights out at 2:00pm.
-When can I watch the Belgian GP highlights?
- Channel: Channel 4
- Start time: Sprint Race – 7:45pm Saturday, Grand Prix – 6:30pm Sunday
Channel 4 has the rights to show the Belgian GP highlights of the qualifying, the sprint race and the full grand prix.
Will the Belgian GP be on the radio?
Live radio coverage of every practice, qualifying and race for the 2023 F1 season will be available on the BBC Radio 5 Live or 5 Live Sports Extra stations and via the BBC Sport website.
Coverage of the Belgian GP will start at 2:00pm BST on BBC Radio 5 Live and the BBC Sounds app.
Weather forecast for the Belgian GP
Spa-Francorchamps is set for mild and mixed conditions throughout the race weekend, with a good chance of rain on Friday and Saturday, but it is likely to stay dry on Sunday. Highs of 20 degrees Celsius are predicted on Sunday for the start of the race, with cloudy conditions and a small chance of showers.
Most F1 Belgian GP wins
Michael Schumacher: 6 wins (1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002)
Ayrton Senna: 5 wins (1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991)
Lewis Hamilton: 4 wins (2010, 2015, 2017, 2020)
Jim Clark: 4 wins (1962, 1963, 1964, 1965)
Kimi Raikkonen: 4 wins (2004, 2005, 2007, 2009)
