What time is the Belgian GP this weekend? And what’s the weather forecast?

F1 returns from its summer break this weekend, with round 14 of the 2022 championship taking place at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and kickstarting a hectic second half of the season.

There’s been plenty of off-track drama to keep us entertained since the last race in Hungary four weeks ago: Fernando Alonso sensationally announced his move to Aston Martin for 2023, after which Alpine even more sensationally ‘confirmed’ that he’d be replaced by reserve driver Oscar Piastri, only for the young Aussie to, um, flatly deny it.

It seems as though Piastri has already agreed to join McLaren, which is why Daniel Ricciardo announced his impending departure from the Woking outfit earlier this week. A bitter legal tussle (and more moves in the driver market) await…

Anyway, back to the racing. Glance at the standings and you’d think there was little to play for already: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has a commanding 80-point lead over Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the drivers’ championship, while Red Bull holds an even bigger margin in the constructors’ standings. Yawn.

But wait! There’s a chance the pecking order could change this weekend: the FIA is introducing a range of measures to tackle porpoising - the aerodynamic effect that’s caused some of this year’s cars to bounce uncontrollably - as well as a clampdown on so-called ‘flexi floors’.

We won’t bore you with the details, but Mercedes in particular believes that Red Bull and Ferrari have been exploiting rules in this area to make their cars faster. By introducing tougher stiffness tests, there’s a chance their advantage to the chasing pack could be reduced…

Plenty to get our teeth into there, then. Keep scrolling for a bull breakdown of what to expect from the Belgian GP this weekend.

What time is the Belgian GP? And what time is qualifying?

For British fans, the first practice session (FP1) starts at 1pm on Friday 26 August, followed by the second (FP2) at 4pm. The final practice session (FP3) gets underway at midday on Saturday 27 August, with qualifying taking place from 3pm later that day. That means we should know who’s on pole for the race by about 4 o’clock.

The Belgian GP itself is on Sunday 28 August, with the race beginning at 2pm UK time.

What’s the weather going to be like?

At the time of writing, the weather forecast for the Belgian GP seems to suggest that the likelihood of rain during the race is low, with intermittent sunshine and highs of 21 degrees celsius.

There’s a chance that rain could affect qualifying on Saturday, although it’s more likely to be dry than wet as things stand. We’re most likely to see rain during Friday’s practice sessions, when showers are forecast throughout the afternoon.

That said, the nearby mountainous landscape means that Spa is more likely to see sudden bouts of rain than just about anywhere else on the calendar. Last year’s race was especially bad: persistent heavy rain meant that the field could only manage two laps under the safety car, before the grand prix was abandoned and half-points awarded to the top 10. The result caused an outrage among visiting fans who left without seeing any action, and officially it’s the shortest grand prix in F1 history. Let’s not have scenes like those again…

Where is the Belgian GP taking place?

The Belgian Grand Prix is taking place at Spa-Francorchamps, more often known simply as Spa. It’s one of the greatest racetracks in the world, and is cherished by drivers and fans alike for its high-speed corners, elevation changes and stunning scenery.

The most famous section is the Eau Rouge and Radillon sequence that’s taken at full-throttle through an uphill corner with a blind crest. It’s as scary and captivating as F1 tracks get, and so frequent have accidents been in that section over the years that the surrounding area has been substantially reprofiled this season in a bid to make things safer for the drivers. Let’s hope the changes do the trick.

How many laps is the Belgian GP?

The 44 laps of the Belgian Grand Prix are the fewest of any race on the F1 calendar. That’s because the circuit is also the longest of the lot, measuring 7.004km (4.352 miles), so you don’t need to go round it quite as many times to reach the standard 300km race distance that defines most grands prix.

Who are the favourites for the Belgian GP?

The usual suspects, of course: Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc have won all but two races between them this season, with each of their teammates - Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz - picking up a win each so far.

However, both Verstappen and Leclerc will take engine penalties this weekend that'll force them to start at the back of the grid, blowing the race for victory wide open. Well, more wide open than usual anyway.

That means Perez and Sainz should be the odds-on favourites, but it - and it remains a big if - the changes being introduced this weekend have an impact on the pecking order, there’s an outside chance Mercedes could be contenders for the win too. Lewis Hamilton is on a run of five straight podium finishes, and George Russell started on pole position after a phenomenal lap in qualifying in Hungary. Should be a cracking race, then.

How can I watch the Belgian GP?

UK viewers can watch the Belgian GP on Sky Sports’ dedicated F1 channel, or alternatively you can subscribe to Now TV to get access to Sky’s coverage that way. Failing that, Channel 4 will broadcast free-to-air qualifying highlights from 6.30pm on Saturday, with race highlights coming on Sunday also at 6.30pm.

If you’re happy to follow the race on the airwaves, BBC Radio 5 Live will bring you coverage of all the action as it unfolds.

What’s the Top Gear view on the Belgian GP?

Spa is one of the best and most fearsome racetracks on the planet, and watching the F1 field pile through Eau Rouge on the opening lap is one of the greatest sights in motorsport. With this year’s regulations making the cars racier than ever before, we’ve got high hopes that the wheel-to-wheel action will be spectacular this weekend. You know, as long as the race doesn’t get rained off again…

There’s been talk recently of Spa losing its place on the F1 calendar, but if F1 wants to be taken seriously by its most dedicated and passionate fans then the Belgian GP really must be retained at all costs. Happily there are now rumours that the race’s short-term future might be looking rosier. We are crossing our fingers and toes that that’s the case.