F1- Belgian Grand Prix LIVE: Start time, leaderboard and lap-by-lap updates as Red Bull and Max Verstappen look to get back to winning ways despite recent McLaren resurgence

The Belgian national anthem has been performed elegantly, signifying that the formation lap is about to commence, with the red lights set to turn off soon.

Share your thoughts on who will take victory in the comments below.

Martin Brundle spoke with Mark Webber, the manager of Oscar Piastri, just before the race.

Today’s conditions are dry with splendid weather, which is rare for Belgium. McLaren has opted for a bold top speed strategy; only time will tell if it pays off.

The rain was persistent throughout the weekend at Spa, making qualifying particularly challenging.

However, today appears free of rain, much to the delight of fans.

The sun is shining, allowing spectators to swap their raincoats for sunglasses.

Temperatures are around 22 degrees at the track, creating optimal conditions for racing.

This season has certainly posed challenges for Sergio Perez, but today offers him a prime opportunity to shine.

Positioned second on the grid, a strong start could allow him to set the race’s tempo and support Max Verstappen early on.

However, based on yesterday’s performance, Verstappen may not need any assistance.

The McLaren CEO, Zak Brown, is known for his flair in celebrating his drivers’ achievements.

To commemorate the first wins of Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris, he got tattoos. This week, he opted for a temporary but fun papaya mohawk wig.

Before we kick off, let’s take a look at today’s starting order.

Despite being the quickest in yesterday’s sessions, Max Verstappen will not be starting on pole.

The pole position belongs to Charles Leclerc, who executed a remarkable lap during the closing stages of qualifying.

1. Charles Leclerc
2. Sergio Perez
3. Lewis Hamilton
4. Lando Norris
5. Oscar Piastri
6. George Russell
7. Carlos Sainz
8. Fernando Alonso
9. Esteban Ocon
10. Alex Albon
11. Max Verstappen
12. Pierre Gasly
13. Daniel Ricciardo
14. Valtteri Bottas
15. Lance Stroll
16. Nico Hulkenberg
17. Kevin Magnussen
18. Logan Sargeant
19. Guanyu Zhou
20. Yuki Tsunoda

Yesterday’s qualifying was closely contested as rain disrupted the drivers’ laps.

Although the sun shines at Spa today, we are likely to see a race filled with unexpected events.