Oscar Piastri secured a crucial victory at the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix, boosting his championship lead over Lando Norris to 16 points. The race began with significant weather disruption, as heavy rainfall delayed proceedings by over an hour. Once racing began, Piastri quickly overtook his McLaren teammate Norris and held off a late-race challenge to claim his sixth win of the season at Spa-Francorchamps.
The start of the race was heavily impacted by torrential rain, which prompted an extended Safety Car period and eventual suspension of the starting procedure. After conditions improved, a rolling start was initiated. Norris, who had earned pole position, led the early laps but was soon passed by Piastri down the Kemmel Straight. A small battery issue was reported on Norris’ car, which may have contributed to his inability to defend.
Strategy played a vital role in the outcome. Piastri opted for medium tyres during the switch from intermediates to slicks, while Norris took the harder compound, intending to mount a comeback later. However, Norris made three minor mistakes during his pursuit, the most costly coming at La Source in the penultimate lap, which allowed Piastri to maintain a gap and secure the win by just over three seconds.
Charles Leclerc delivered an impressive performance for Ferrari by fending off Max Verstappen to claim third place, while Lewis Hamilton recovered from 18th to finish seventh after an aggressive strategy that included an early switch to slick tyres. Hamilton’s Ferrari teammate, George Russell, finished fifth for Mercedes, but the team struggled overall compared to their strong showing at Spa in 2024.
Lower in the top ten, Alex Albon achieved a strong sixth-place finish for Williams, holding off Hamilton in the latter stages. Liam Lawson finished eighth for Racing Bulls, followed by Gabriel Bortoleto and Pierre Gasly. With the championship battle heating up, Formula 1 now turns its attention to the Hungarian Grand Prix — the last race before the summer break.
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