Oscar Piastri achieved a crucial victory over his teammate and title rival, Lando Norris, at the Belgian Grand Prix. The race, which took place at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, saw Piastri dominate from the first laps, securing his sixth victory of the season and the eighth of his career.
Piastri, who started from second position on the grid, executed a flawless race, outpacing Norris by 3.41 seconds, despite the latter having an advantage in terms of tires in the final stages. The victory allowed Piastri to extend his lead in the championship to 16 points and deny Norris his third consecutive victory, who had started from the pole position.
Come on! Well done. Very well done.
Oscar Piastri
Piastri reflected on his strategy and the importance of the first lap. “I knew that the first lap would be my best chance to win the race. I had a good start from Turn 1, I lifted as little as I dared in Eau Rouge. We managed the rest of the race very well. I struggled at the end. Maybe the mediums weren’t the best for the last five or six laps. We had almost everything under control.”Oscar Piastri celebra su octava victoria en su carrera, y la primera de McLaren en Spa desde 2012.For his part, Norris acknowledged Piastri’s good performance. “Oscar simply did a good job at the start. Nothing more to say. I committed a little more in Eau Rouge and got the slipstream and got the momentum. So I have nothing to complain about. He did a better job at the beginning, and that was it. I couldn’t do anything more after that point. I would love to be on top, but Oscar deserved it today.”
Charles Leclerc secured a valuable podium for Ferrari, ahead of defending champion Max Verstappen, in a distant battle behind the dominant McLaren duo.
The race was delayed by one hour and 15 minutes due to heavy rain before the start, but the track dried quickly, allowing the use of dry tires on lap 12.
Norris led the race at the first corner after a rolling start on lap 5, but Piastri soon showed why pole position is often considered a challenge at Spa-Francorchamps. Piastri overtook Norris at Turn 1 and took advantage of the long Eau Rouge straight to overtake on the Kemmel straight.
McLaren demonstrated superior pace, with Leclerc finishing 20 seconds behind in third position. Verstappen placed fourth, followed by George Russell of Mercedes.
Alex Albon achieved sixth place for Williams, his best result since Imola. Lewis Hamilton, after a disappointing qualifying, put on a show at the start of the race, using his wet-weather skills to move up from the back of the grid. Liam Lawson of Racing Bulls obtained an excellent eighth place, ahead of Sauber’s rookie, Gabriel Bortoleto.
The next Formula 1 race will be the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest, the final event before the summer break.
