
Oscar Piastri clinched a vital victory at the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix, fending off late pressure from McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris. After a weather-delayed start due to heavy rainfall, Piastri made his decisive move early in the race, overtaking Norris along the Kemmel Straight after getting a better exit through Eau Rouge. Once in the lead, he built a one-second gap and later capitalized on the drying track by pitting first for medium tyres, while Norris lost time completing an extra lap and facing a slight delay in his pit stop.
Despite Piastri being on a softer compound and Norris running hard tyres for a longer stint, the Australian managed the pace well, maintaining a solid lead. Although Norris began to close in during the final laps, a small mistake at La Source ended his charge, and he crossed the line 3.4 seconds behind Piastri. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc secured third place after holding off a persistent Max Verstappen, who couldn’t find a way past despite a stronger pace in parts of the race.
Mercedes’ George Russell ran a quiet but solid race to finish fifth, while Williams’ Alex Albon impressively held off a charging Lewis Hamilton to secure sixth. Hamilton, starting from the pit lane in his Ferrari, produced one of the drives of the day, gaining 11 positions to end up seventh. The top 10 was completed by Liam Lawson, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Pierre Gasly, with the rest of the field finishing closely behind in what turned out to be a caution-free race once it began.
The Grand Prix began under treacherous conditions with all cars on intermediate tyres and the Safety Car leading the field. Multiple drivers including Hamilton and Carlos Sainz had to start from the pit lane due to setup changes. After a red flag and nearly 80-minute delay, the action resumed, and Piastri wasted no time getting ahead. Strategic decisions around the crossover to slick tyres proved critical, especially as Hamilton was the first to make the switch and gained significant ground.
In the second half of the race, tyre management became a key factor. Piastri voiced concerns about reaching the end on mediums, while Norris suffered a small off-track excursion that cost him more time. Further back, action was intense within the midfield, including position changes between the Kick Sauber and Alpine drivers. Ultimately, all 20 drivers finished the race, marking a rare event with no crashes or safety car interruptions. Piastri’s win not only marks a strong recovery from his Sprint disappointment but also extends his championship lead to 16 points heading into the Hungarian Grand Prix.