Belgian Grand Prix weather: Rain showers on the radar at Spa
Fans under umbrellas as the rain falls heavy at Spa-Francorchamps. Belgium, August 2021.
Formula 1 awakens from its summer slumber and heads straight to Spa for the Belgian Grand Prix, where rain could be around.
We will all be keeping our fingers crossed that the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix is, firstly, not the last staging of this iconic event for the foreseeable event, but also that there is more action taking place on the track this time around.
The 2021 Belgian Grand Prix proved to be a washout. The rain made for a very tricky Saturday out on the track, where Max Verstappen claimed pole ahead of George Russell who delivered a stunning display in his Williams. Lewis Hamilton lined-up P3.
But, come Sunday, with the rain and mist meaning that the Safety Car was never able to release the pack, the race was abandoned and that top three on the grid became the podium.
This year’s race sees Verstappen arrive as the strong favourite to go on to world title glory for the second season in succession. The Red Bull driver holds a buffer of 80 points over Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the Drivers’ Championship.
Red Bull meanwhile are 97 points ahead of Ferrari in the Constructors’.
Verstappen certainly does not mind a bit of rain out on the track, but will he get some this race weekend?
Well, this is Spa-Francorchamps after all, so rain is never far away. And indeed, it does feature in the forecast for the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix.
2022 Belgian Grand Prix weather forecast
Friday, August 26 – FP1 and FP2
As the drivers look to shake off the cobwebs after their summer holidays, they may well have to do that in wet conditions.
The current forecast suggests that FP1 will be contested in the dry, just about, with an air temperature of 22 degrees Celsius and a gentle breeze.
There is a chance of rain moving in come the end of the session, with a greater threat of light rain showers or prolonged light rain in time for FP2. This is forecast to stick around throughout the session.
Saturday, August 27 – FP3 and qualifying
The rain is set to continue through the night and into the early hours of the morning, before the threat of precipitation then reduces in the approach to FP3, that session expected to be cloudy but dry with an air temperature of 19 Celsius and 74% humidity, with a gentle breeze.
Temperatures are expected to climb slightly in time for qualifying, still a rather chilly 20 Celsius for Formula 1 standards, though no rain is forecast, with a drop in humidity to 66%. That being said, a dry FP3 or qualifying is not guaranteed, with the chance of rain hovering at around 20% throughout the day.
Sunday, August 28 – race
Come race day the skies are set to clear, and any lingering threat of rain fade away. Come lights out at 1500 local time, sunny conditions and a gentle breeze should greet the drivers, with an air temperature of 21 Celsius and 55% humidity.
While these are not exactly baking temperatures, it may be a good idea to still keep the sun block close by considering the projected lack of cloud cover.