Belgian GP 2024 F1 weather forecast: Rain expected at Spa-Francorchamps

The Belgian Grand Prix starts on Friday and the weather is set to be mixed over the three days of action at the world-famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

For practice on Friday, rain is expected throughout the day, starting off very heavy in the morning before gradually easing as the afternoon progresses.

The Met Office forecast states a 50% chance of rain for first practice at 1:30pm (CET), following a morning where downpours are anticipated.

By second practice at 5pm, the skies should have cleared slightly, though there is still a 40% chance of precipitation.

Qualifying on Saturday at 4pm (3pm BST) also shows overcast conditions with a 50% chance of rain, which could make the fight for pole position interesting with drivers and teams having to be sharp in switching tyres dependent on the conditions.

However, the grand prix on Sunday at 3pm (2pm BST) is expected to take place in dry conditions.

There is a less than 10% chance of rain, with sunny conditions expected and temperatures around 20C.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are among the best drivers in wet conditions, with Fernando Alonso also something of an expert.

Wet conditions usually result in chaos in the pit-lane. While dry (slick) tyres are the quickest, the condition of the track is fundamental to the choice of tyre and standing water will likely mean the intermediate tyre is regularly in use.

If the rain is constant and heavy, the extreme wet tyre may also be in use, simply to keep the cars on track. However should this be the case, the session could well be red-flagged.

Rain is often in the air in the Ardennes forest. The 2021 Belgian Grand Prix, in late August, was cancelled due to heavy downpours.