Oscar Piastri claimed his sixth victory of the 2025 season at a rain-disrupted Belgian Grand Prix, overtaking teammate and title rival Lando Norris on the opening lap following a rolling start. After an 80-minute delay due to wet conditions, the race finally got underway. Piastri held his lead throughout, with both McLaren drivers choosing different tyre strategies—Piastri on mediums and Norris on hards. Ultimately, Piastri’s tyre management and consistent pace allowed him to keep Norris at bay and extend his championship lead by 16 points.
Lewis Hamilton salvaged a tough weekend with a smart strategic call from Ferrari, who opted to pit him for slick tyres earlier than others. Starting from the pit lane, Hamilton charged through the field to finish seventh and earn Driver of the Day. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc continued his solid run of form, finishing third after fending off Max Verstappen for the entire race. Ferrari’s latest rear suspension upgrade appears to be paying off, as they tighten their grip on second in the constructors’ standings.
Max Verstappen picked up his first Sprint victory of the season on Saturday, executing a perfect slipstream pass on Piastri. However, his Grand Prix performance fell short, as he struggled to pass Leclerc in the dry conditions. Red Bull’s decision to run a higher-downforce setup for the wet forecast backfired once the track dried out. Verstappen admitted their package wasn’t strong enough to compete for the win and accepted third place as the best possible result.
Mercedes had a weekend to forget, with George Russell finishing fifth and Kimi Antonelli outside the points in 16th. Russell admitted that the team seemed to have taken “a big step backwards” and couldn’t explain why. Antonelli continued to struggle in both qualifying and the race but noted that a new rear wing improved his confidence. Still, the Silver Arrows left Spa with more questions than answers as they look ahead to Hungary.
Off-track, Spa attracted a mix of motorsport legends and celebrities. British presenter Amelia Dimoldenberg was seen in the Haas garage, while Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois presented the Sprint podium trophies. Belgian F1 legend Jacky Ickx had the honor of waving the chequered flag. The Belgian Grand Prix once again proved to be not only a challenging race but also a popular spectacle on and off the track.
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