Oscar Piastri Triumphs At Rain-Delayed Belgian GP
At Spa-Francorchamps, rain is a perennial guest. The 2025 Belgian Grand Prix saw no different. The start was delayed by about 80 minutes due to poor visibility and rainy conditions. But once racing got underway, a decisive first-lap move by Oscar Piastri helped secure his win.
The McLarens Duel
After five laps behind the safety car, polesitter Lando Norris led the pack on a rolling start, his McLaren teammate bitingly close to his gearbox. Tailing him through Eau Rouge and Raidillon, Piastri completed his overtake along the Kemmel Straight for the lead of the Grand Prix.
"I knew that Lap 1 was going to be probably my best chance of winning the race, and I got a good exit out of Turn 1 and lifted as little as I dared through Eau Rouge and then it was enough," said Piastri.
From that point on, the battle shifted from simply pace to strategy. Race-leader Piastri was called in first and opted for mediums, the faster option, but one that came with higher degradation risk over the race distance. Norris, stopping a lap later, went for the hards, banking on long-run consistency and late-race pace.
Piastri's tyres began to fade toward the end, and Norris attempted to capitalize. However, minor mistakes like locking up at Pouhon and again at La Source on the penultimate lap, undid any hopes of a last-lap showdown. In the end, Piastri held firm, taking his sixth win of the season and extending his lead in the Drivers' Championship to 16 points.
Charles Leclerc
Leclerc's Podium Battle
While McLaren fought out at the front of the field, Charles Leclerc was engaged in a battle of his own. The Monegasque qualified third place but keeping the position proved tricky.
With the track drying rapidly and a setup favoring dry conditions, Charles Leclerc faced his toughest test early in the race, fighting Max Verstappen in wet conditions. His defensive driving was effective though. By prioritising control and Verstappen losing time in his pitstop, Leclerc managed to keep the Dutchman at bay and managed his pace to hold onto third. This is Leclerc's fourth podium in the last six races.
Hamilton Climbs Up The Grid
Lewis Hamilton endured a difficult qualifying session, spinning during his lap and exiting early in Q1, leaving him to start 18th on the grid. The race, however, was all about damage limitation. Looking more comfortable in his scarlet Ferrari, the Briton, climbed the grid, overtake after overtake, picking off his opponents until he was in the point-scoring positions.
Albon Finishes Sixth
For Williams, Alex Albon turned a strong qualifying into a point-scoring result, securing sixth place. His teammate Carlos Sainz, starting from the pitlane, struggled throughout the race and finished 18th.
Drivers Criticize Lengthy Belgian GP Delay
The Dutchman voiced his opinion on the delayed start, calling the 80-minute wait 'a bit of a shame.' He argued that running a few laps behind the safety car would have improved visibility and that the FIA's decisions were stifling classic wet race excitement.
Hamilton echoed this sentiment. 'We obviously started the race a little too late, I would say…I kept shouting like 'it's ready to go, it's ready to go'. And they kept going round and round," he said.
With Piastri extending his lead and rivals scrambling to keep pace, there's still plenty to fight for in the championship battle with 11 rounds left. Up next is Hungary.
Belgian GP classification
1 Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
2 Lando Norris (McLaren), +3.415s
3 Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), +20.185s
4 Max Verstappen (Red Bull), +21.731s
5 George Russell (Mercedes), +34.863s
6 Alex Albon (Williams), +39.926s
7 Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), +40.679s
8 Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls), +52.033s
9 Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber), +56.434s
10 Pierre Gasly (Alpine), +1m12.714s
11 Ollie Bearman (Haas), +1m13.145s
12 Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber), +1m13.628s
13 Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull), +1m15.395s
14 Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), +1m19.831s
15 Esteban Ocon (Haas), +1m26.063s
16 Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), +1m26.721s
17 Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), +1m27.924s
18 Carlos Sainz (Williams), +1m32.024s
19 Franco Colapinto (Alpine), +1m35.250s
20 Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls), +1 lap
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