20 July 2026 15:45 (UTC)
Sweet treats, Belgian sporting stars, and unrivalled commitment from fans: Behind the scenes at Spa-Francorchamps
Allow us to take you behind the scenes of the Belgian Grand Prix and deep into the paddock, with our regular post-race wrap-up. Covering all the action you might have missed, we'll explore everything from the outfits that caught our attention to the strongest snaps and the standout quotes.
At a venue known for regular changes of position, both Mastercard McLaren Formula 1 Team drivers ended an eventful race with places and points gained. Oscar started in P6 but jumped up to P5, while Lando climbed from P13, having taken a 10-place grid penalty, to P7 by the end of the Grand Prix.
Away from the track, the McLaren fans were out in full force, while the garage was even visited by an NBA Finals winner. Here’s what caught our eye.
Given his Belgian heritage, it made sense that Lando took the lead in the ranking of Belgian sweet treats, even if there were a few he wasn’t aware of. No one, included us, was sure on the difference between Brussels waffles and Liège waffles, and although we didn’t solve that particular mystery, we did determine, without doubt, that Oscar loves a hot chocolate!
And while neither of them have tried, or even heard of cuberdons, it would appear from some of the comments below that they are missing out. Perhaps one to check out next time we head over to Spa.
And if you want a taster of something coming up, fans of the Sidemen will be very excited after seeing this picture pop up!
Your commitment to showing your support truly knows no bounds, Papaya Family.
As Lando and Oscar took to the stage to meet the supporters who had descended on the Ardennes, there was one thing in particular that caught the eye.
An injured wrist did not stop one fan repping the team, as they decorated their cast in the fluorescent design of Lando’s helmet.
On FIFA World Cup Final weekend, Lando showed off his skills with some fancy footwork (is it still called footwork if you’re using a boot attached to your fingers?) while playing a form of table football.
If the stepovers and quick interpassing were reminiscent of Leo Messi or Lamine Yamal, Oscar’s agricultural clearance felt more like the Argentinian defensive approach taken against England last Wednesday evening.
But football is not the only sport that’s been capturing the imagination in the States over the last couple of months, with the New York Knicks ending a more than 50-year wait for an NBA title.
It was a member of the 2025 NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, who took in the action in Spa, though. Belgian-born Ajay Mitchell was in attendance for this race last year, and he was back checking out the MCL40 ahead of this year’s Grand Prix.
There was also a rising sports star in the paddock as 15-year-old Belgian talent Dries Van Langendonck, from the McLaren Driver Development Programme, spent FP1 and FP2 in the garage to get a unique look at how the team operates during a Grand Prix.
Dries, who leads the British Formula 4 Championship, said: “It’s very special to be here at my home Grand Prix. Seeing all the fans and experiencing the support from the Belgian crowd is incredible. Spa is one of my favourite circuits, and the atmosphere here is always amazing. Hopefully, one day I’ll have the chance to race here myself.”
No prizes for guessing who this pair were cheering on… The drivers spend hours on their helmet designs, but these fans would give them a run for their money in a vote for this season’s best headwear.
And in the weekend’s best outfit category, these two go head-to-head for top honours. While the koalas were as sweet as the treats Lando and Oscar ranked, the pastry featuring Oscar’s face - complete with a second croissant on top just to finish the look - takes the cake. (Or the pastry, should we say?)
The team may have left Belgium hungry for more, but there were still reasons to celebrate a productive weekend at Spa-Francorchamps.
Echoing fellow Australian, and manager, Mark Webber, Oscar pulled off an audacious overtake of Lewis Hamilton into the famous Eau Rouge corner.
Hamilton had gotten past Oscar at the beginning of the lap, but the Number 81 bided his time and blasted past the Ferrari just as they began the climb up the track in an overtake that will live long in the memory.
“The pace was very strong, probably the best pace we have had all season. Honestly, I think we had pace to win the race today, which is very positive.”
Lando has evidence to back up his view that this was the best pace of the season, given that he produced the fastest lap of the Belgian Grand Prix.
Taking a different approach to the majority of the frontrunners by staying out longer on the hard tyre, Lando even led the race for a period, as well as setting that fastest lap, with a 1m48.890s.
Although the race didn’t end as he’d have liked, there were still reasons for positivity, and signs that the MCL40 can challenge some of the early pacesetters this season.
There is no rest for the team after this weekend in Belgium as attention turns immediately to the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The action at the Hungaroring will run from 24 – 26 July in the final race of the first half of the season.
And with a month-long break to follow Hungary, it represents the perfect chance to take some momentum into the summer.
