With Lando Norris and Isack Hadjar starting out of position for the race in 12th and 21st on the grid respectively thanks to grid penalties, Spa under the new regulations promised to offer a feast of overtaking. Throw in the threat of rain (which never fully materialised), and the scene was set for a classic.
Kimi Antonelli kept his nerve and the lead at the start into La Source, holding off the challenge from Max Verstappen's Red Bull but Max made a move through Eau Rouge and briefly snatched the lead. The Red Bull appeared to have used too much energy making that move though and under braking for Les Combes Max dropped back behind not only Kimi but also the fast-charging Ferrari of Charles Leclerc.
There was drama behind them as the second Mercedes of George Russell was tipped into a spin by Lewis Hamilton at Les Combes. Beached in the gravel, George was out of the race barely after it had started and the safety car was deployed while his car was recovered. Lewis earned a five second penalty for causing a collision but continued on, seemingly with no damage.
With the safety car back in, Verstappen soon repassed Leclerc for second place, while Charles had to defend from Oscar Piastri on the run up to Les Combes on lap 8, squeezing the McLaren wide and the two made contact. With Oscar's McLaren deemed by the stewards not to have been far enough alongside the Ferrari, no further action was taken although Piastri suffered some floor damage in the incident.
Antonelli pitted for fresh tyres from the lead, rejoining in fifth but lost out after a virtual safety car was called for gravel on the track handing a cheap stop to those ahead of him. Leclerc took full advantage and took the place under the VSC but there was yet more drama for Ferrari when Hamilton, having served his penalty and fitted with fresh tyres, appeared to go before the pit crew had finished servicing his car, prompting a second investigation by the stewards, this time for an unsafe release.
On a different strategy, Lando Norris started on the hard tyres and now led the race but was easy prey on worn tyres for Leclerc and a couple of laps later Kimi Antonelli was past. Running long, Lando soon ended up fending off his team mate who had already taken his pit stop and soon enough the lead McLaren was called in for what was to be a very slow stop, dropping Norris down the order behind Isack Hadjar and Gabriel Bortoleto.
Having dropped down to sixth after his stop, Lewis set off in pursuit of the McLaren of Oscar Piastri, finally making the move stick while at the front Leclerc was being caught by a relentless Kimi Antonelli. The extra boost from the overtake made the move stick and Kimi was past the lead Ferrari. Leclerc hung on to the back of the Mercedes but once that one-second gap was broken Charles had no answer.
Fresh medium tyres for Norris meant he had the chance of a good haul of points and having passed Bortoleto's Audi he started to reel in the ten second gap to Isack Hadjar ahead, setting fastest laps along the way but he was fated to not quite catch the Red Bull, closing to within a second by the end.
Race Results (subject to official confirmation):
1: Antonelli
2: Leclerc
3: Verstappen
4: Hamilton
5: Piastri
6: Hadjar
7: Norris
8: Bortoleto
9: Lindblad
10: Colapinto
11: Gasly
12: Lawson
13: Hulkenberg
14: Bearman
15: Albon
16: Sainz
17: Ocon
18: Bottas
19: Alonso
Ret: Stroll
Ret: Perez
Ret: Russell