The legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit delivered a chaotic, rain-delayed spectacle for the Belgian Grand Prix, which ultimately saw Oscar Piastri execute a daring first-lap move to secure victory over his McLaren teammate, Lando Norris. Delayed by over an hour due to torrential rain, the race finally commenced under safety car supervision, but it took the 24-year-old Australian only a single racing lap to impose his will. Starting second, Piastri utilized the slipstream and the treacherous, wet conditions to slingshot past Norris, a move he later conceded “took some risk.” The victory extends Piastri’s lead in the Drivers’ Championship to 16 points, cementing his status as a ruthless and decisive title contender who is willing to gamble for success, even against his own teammate.
The Wet Gamble: Piastri’s Decisive First-Lap Overtake
The victory was defined by Oscar Piastri’s bold decision to attack his teammate, Lando Norris, on the very first racing lap, a high-risk maneuver demanded by the slick, unpredictable track conditions.
With the race starting behind the safety car due to the heavy rain, true racing began only on the fourth lap. Piastri, starting second, immediately exploited the turbulent conditions, getting a “good run out of turn one” to stay glued to Norris’s gearbox. He admitted the move required commitment and risk, telling Sky Sports, “The actual overtake itself was reasonably straightforward. I could get ahead before the braking zone but, yeah, the leading up to it took some risk.” The visibility, reduced to a blinding spray, made such a move exceptionally hazardous, but Piastri was decisive, seizing the lead before the breaking zone. This move proved to be the winning moment, allowing him to control the pace from the front and demonstrating a crucial willingness to gamble for track position in a championship fight.
Norris’s Defense: The Wet Track Paradox
Lando Norris’s struggle to maintain his pole position was compounded by the disadvantage of leading on a saturated track, an aerodynamic paradox he highlighted after the race.
Norris, who started first, was immediately vulnerable due to the wet conditions. He explained that leading the pack meant his car had to displace the water first, creating a perfect slipstream for the car directly behind him—in this case, Piastri. The British driver noted, “It’s tough to lead from the beginning… just seems like this weekend it was a headwind down that straight and just pretty much impossible to keep ahead.” Despite the early setback, Norris’s strategy of using more durable tires gave him a genuine chance to challenge Piastri in the final laps as the track dried. However, his hope was ultimately extinguished by a combination of minor driving errors and a slow pit stop, forcing him to settle for second place, over three seconds behind his teammate.
The Championship Gap: A Tightening Internal Battle
Piastri’s victory marked his sixth win of the year, providing him with valuable breathing room in the Drivers’ Championship standings ahead of the upcoming race in Hungary.
With the win, Piastri extended his lead over Norris to 16 points, reflecting a significant tightening of the title fight as the season progresses. The Australian expressed his relief at returning to the top step of the podium, having last won at the Spanish Grand Prix in June. “I think the last couple of weekends I felt very good in how I’ve driven and the pace, but I’ve just not ultimately pulled it off,” he reflected. His satisfaction stemmed from executing a near-perfect race, stating, “The race I did everything as well as I could have and I’m very happy.” The continued intra-team battle highlights the sheer competitive advantage of McLaren, which is now consistently outperforming rivals, evidenced by Charles Leclerc’s distant third-place finish for Ferrari.
The McLaren Duopoly: Focus Shifts to Hungary
The one-two finish in Belgium confirms McLaren’s current dominance in Formula One, with the championship narrative firmly centered on the internal rivalry between its two young stars.
The result underscored the incredible competitive level achieved by the Woking-based team this season. With Piastri securing first and Norris second, the team continues to prove that it currently holds the most complete package of pace, strategy, and driver talent on the grid. While Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc managed to complete the podium, he finished a significant distance behind the McLarens, confirming the gap in performance. The F1 circus now moves immediately to the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend. With only 16 points separating the two rivals, the race at the Hungaroring—a circuit known for being difficult to overtake on—is set to become the next crucial battleground in the intense, high-stakes competition for the 2025 Drivers’ Championship.
