For his part, Shovlin pointed to the change in front-wing regulations as one potential culprit. Ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, the sport’s governing body implemented a new technical directive, which limited how much the front wings can flex under aerodynamic load.

The F1 champion Niki Lauda had a near-fatal accident in Germany in August 1976. After defying all expectations, he told the BBC in 1977 how he willed himself to stay alive.

SportsLine's model analyzes Red Bull's Max Verstappen, McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, and the rest of the starting grid's chances at the 2025 F1 Belgian GP

Lando Norris took pole position Saturday for Formula 1's Belgian Grand Prix after Max Verstappen won the sprint race earlier in the day.

Ferrari has ruled out a technical problem on the SF-25 F1 car that likely caused Lewis Hamilton to spin out during sprint qualifying.