Piastri eclipses Norris to win Belgian GP
In treacherous conditions at Spa, Oscar Piastri delivered a statement win that solidifies his championship credentials and tightens McLaren's grip on the 2025 F1 season
By Cayle Reid
IN A RACE that can be classed as a slow burn, with torrential conditions delaying the race for more than 80 minutes and testing the patience of drivers and fans alike, Oscar Piastri has delivered one of his most convincing performances of the season to clinch victory at the Belgian Grand Prix, extending his title lead to 16 points over teammate Lando Norris.
When racing finally began after several cautious laps behind the safety car, it was Piastri who made the move that would ultimately decide the race. Sliding into the slipstream of teammate Lando Norris, he pulled off the decisive overtake on lap five, the first green-flag lap of the day. From there, he never looked back.
“I knew lap one would probably be my best chance of winning the race,’ Piastri said in a press conference. “I got a good exit out of turn one, lifted as little as I dared, and yeah, we had it mostly under control [from there].”
Behind Piastri and Norris, the rest of the field scrambled to keep up. Charles Leclerc managed to bring his Ferrari home in third, while Max Verstappen, in his first race since the departure of Christian Horner, settled for fourth. George Russell rounded out the top five, with Lewis Hamilton fighting his way from 18th on the grid to finish seventh.
But it was Piastri’s race from start to finish. In the sprint qualifying session on Friday, he had already stunned the field with a 1:40.510 lap, a new track record, putting him ahead of Verstappen by nearly half a second and a full six tenths clear of Norris.
The victory marked Piastri’s sixth of the season and extended his lead in the drivers’ championship to 16 points over Norris. While McLaren’s one-two finish, impressively their sixth of the year, cemented their position atop the constructors’ standings.
With 13 races down and 11 to go, the championship battle is now firmly between the two men in papaya orange. Verstappen, though still a threat, is 81 points adrift and struggling to keep up in a less dominant Red Bull. Ferrari continue to flirt with podiums but lack consistency, and Mercedes, while improving, are still in rebuild mode.
As the paddock packs up and heads into the summer stretch, it’s clear the title fight is going to remain heated.
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