With a commanding performance at Spa, Alberto Cerrai beat off Maurizio Fabris and a surprising Giorgio Bartocci to reopen the title race. Clouds menaced rain as the cars rolled off the grid. Rota began badly as he clipped another competitor and slipped to last spot.

Fabris managed to hold first place despite the attentions of Ricci. Cerrai began his attempt to latch onto the front two by overtaking both Andolfato and Demegni on lap one. The Roman was fast but Belgian driver Goossens was even quicker as he swept past seven adversaries to climb to eighth. Goossens covered the 6,960 metre circuit at a leader's pace and, by lap four, was in fifth after edging past Galeazzi and Demegni.

There were many duels on the track. The battle that caught the eye was that between rallying legend Andruet and De Martini. The Frenchman got the better of his opponent at the end of the Kemmel straight having prepared his attack coming out of the fast Eau Rouge. However, it was up front that most of the action was taking place. All eyes were on Cerrai as he first overtook Ricci at the end of Kemmel, and then swept past Fabris at Pouhon. The Roman immediately upped the pace and put some distance between his car and that of the English driver.

Goossens, in the meantime, thanks to a series of clean and decisive overtaking moves, had moved into Ricci's slipstream in fourth. The front trio was bunched close together and it was at this instant that the Belgian launched his attack before trying the same move on Fabris. An error by the championship leader made things easier for the Belgian. Goossens now had Cerrai in his sights as Fabris came back onto the track tucked in behind Ricci.