Zolder had taken over as the Belgian Grand Prix venue because the Nivelles-Baulers circuit near Brussels had been dropped after its track surface deteriorated to an unacceptable standard. Zolder had originally been intended to rotate with Nivelles, but now held the race until the return of Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in 1983.
The race followed a difficult week for McLaren. Their M23 had been disqualified from the previous round, the Spanish Grand Prix, and the team had rebuilt the car to stricter tolerances in the intervening days. James Hunt described the result as a car that felt like "a wild horse" — barely manageable. He qualified third but the car was unruly in the race and his gearbox failed on lap 35.
Ferrari locked out the front row. Lauda took pole with 1:26.55, Regazzoni qualifying 0.05 seconds behind in second. Hunt was third in the McLaren. Patrick Depailler was fourth in a Tyrrell, with Vittorio Brambilla fifth in a March and Laffite sixth in the Ligier. Emerson Fittipaldi, Jacky Ickx, and Guy Edwards all failed to qualify.
Both Tyrrell entries appeared using the unusual six-wheeled P34 for the first time — the cars fitted with small plastic windows in the bodywork so the drivers could see the front four wheels.
Lauda led from the start and was never headed. Regazzoni took second place from Hunt on lap 7, and the two Ferraris pulled clear as the field sorted itself behind them. Laffite ran in third for the majority of the race. Hunt fell back to sixth behind Laffite and the two Tyrrells, then retired with his gearbox failure. Depailler also dropped out with engine failure on lap 29. With both potential challengers retired, Laffite held third unchallenged to the flag, securing the first podium finish in the history of Équipe Ligier.
Scheckter recovered to fourth in his Tyrrell. Alan Jones took fifth for Surtees — his second championship points finish — and Jochen Mass scored the final point in sixth for McLaren.
Chris Amon's Ensign N176 suffered a rear-suspension failure on lap 51 at the Lucien Bianchi corner and was destroyed in an impact with the catch fences. Amon escaped with hand injuries. Ronnie Peterson destroyed his March in an accident on lap 16 that was triggered by Reutemann's misfiring Brabham.
Lauda's winning time was 1:42:53.23. Regazzoni finished 3.46 seconds behind. Laffite was 35.38 seconds adrift in third. Lauda also set the fastest lap at 1:25.98.
After five rounds Lauda led the Drivers' Championship with 42 points, with Regazzoni second on 15 and Depailler third on 10. Hunt had yet to score significantly. Ferrari led the Constructors' Championship with 45 points, 29 clear of Tyrrell. Lauda's Belgian win extended his advantage in what was developing into the most dominant early-season title campaign the sport had seen.
Laffite's podium marked a milestone for French motorsport: Ligier, founded by ex-rugby international Jacques Ligier and entering only its second Formula One season, had placed its Matra-engined car on the podium. The result confirmed the team as a serious force and began a run of increasing competitiveness that would see them challenge for wins in subsequent seasons.