The event was the second and last Belgian Grand Prix to be held at Nivelles. For most of the next decade, the race would be held at Zolder.
Qualifying saw Clay Regazzoni secure pole position.
The start saw Clay Regazzoni get off to an instant lead from pole position. Emerson Fittipaldi was closest to Regazzoni, having used the "clean" side of the grid to his advantage, leaving Jody Scheckter to fend off Niki Lauda for third. The rest came into turn 1 together.
The opening lap was uneventful, with the field quickly settling down. Regazzoni led Fittipaldi, who was left to fend off Scheckter and Lauda, with Ronnie Peterson and James Hunt close behind. Carlos Pace followed with Patrick Depailler, Jean-Pierre Beltoise, and Mike Hailwood, while Hans-Joachim Stuck rounded out the field after a terrible start.
The following laps saw three groups form, each seemingly in their own race. The top six ran nose-to-tail behind Regazzoni. Overtaking was difficult at Nivelles-Baulers, and Stuck dropped out with a clutch issue. Jacky Ickx and Arturo Merzario duelled after passing Henri Pescarolo.
Out front, the top six remained close, unable to make a move on one another. They came up to lap backmarkers on lap 25, including François Migault. Regazzoni and Fittipaldi passed Migault unhindered, but Lauda hesitated, dropping him behind Fittipaldi.
Scheckter's strong pace allowed him to rejoin the group, and they lapped a slower group of cars. However, Scheckter got baulked, and Regazzoni and Fittipaldi pulled clear. Scheckter and Lauda fought over third, while Peterson and Hunt dropped back.
The pair scythed through traffic, but Regazzoni misjudged a move on Pace and ran onto the grass, allowing Fittipaldi to take the lead. Regazzoni rejoined behind Lauda, who had passed Scheckter. Fittipaldi led Lauda and Regazzoni, with Lauda unable to attack.
Mechanical issues affected Depailler and Hailwood. Hunt suffered a suspension failure, and Hailwood passed Depailler. Hailwood joined the battle between Beltoise, Denny Hulme, and Jean-Pierre Jarier.
Into the closing stages, fuel feed problems shuffled the order. Regazzoni lost time, allowing Scheckter to pass. Regazzoni ran out of fuel, crossing the line in fourth. Hailwood finished a lap down in seventh, behind Beltoise and Hulme.
This was the Formula One World Championship debut for Belgian driver Teddy Pilette, British driver Tom Pryce, Finnish driver Leo Kinnunen, and French driver Gérard Larrousse. This was the 63rd pole position for a Ferrari-powered car.
The information presented is based solely on the supplied corpus, specifically the Wikipedia article for the 1974 Belgian Grand Prix. No external sources were consulted.