Spa-Francorchamps, Sunday 27 July 2025
Oscar Piastri nailed it when it counted. After a red-flagged formation lap, four laps behind the Safety Car, and an 80-minute delay, the Belgian Grand Prix finally got going. And the moment it did, Piastri got the job done. He slipstreamed past Lando Norris at the Kemmel Straight and never gave the place back.
It’s career win number 8 for the Australian. He now leads the championship by 16 points heading into the summer break. Norris crossed the line second after starting on pole. Charles Leclerc took third ahead of Max Verstappen, who chased but couldn’t find a way through.
Red Flag Before Lap 1
Rain arrived less than 30 minutes before the start. As the field left the grid on intermediates for the formation lap, it was immediately clear conditions were too dangerous. Spray was heavy. Visibility was almost zero. “I can’t see a lot behind the Safety Car,” said Norris.
Race Control brought the red flag out before the field reached La Source. Drivers returned to the pits. The race clock paused. Another spell of rain hit. And then, finally, skies began to clear.
Once it was safe, the field rejoined behind the Safety Car. Four cautious laps later, the race finally went green with a roling start. Norris led the restart. Piastri was second. Leclerc and Verstappen followed close behind.
Lap 5 – The Pass That Sealed It
Piastri was glued to the back of his teammate through Eau Rouge. With a better exit and barely a lift, he moved alongside on the Kemmel Straight. The pass was clean, done well before the braking zone into Les Combes.
He pulled out a one-second gap by the end of the lap. Russell moved up to fifth ahead of Albon. Stroll dropped to 18th as Hamilton and Sainz carved through from pit lane starts.
Crossover to Slicks and Strategy Shift
By Lap 10, dry tyres were clearly the next step. Hamilton was first to pit, switching to mediums. Gasly, Alonso, and Hulkenberg followed. Piastri came in on Lap 12 for mediums too.
Norris went one lap longer and switched to hards. A small delay on his front-left meant he rejoined 9.1 seconds behind. From there, Piastri controlled the race. He kept the gap between five and nine seconds through the middle stint.
Verstappen Stuck Behind Leclerc
Verstappen applied pressure on Leclerc from the start. He had better exits out of La Source, but couldn’t get close enough on the straights. The Ferrari had added downforce after Saturday’s Sprint, giving Leclerc just enough to stay ahead.
The pair ran nose to tail for over 30 laps. Verstappen got within 1.5 seconds at the flag, but never close enough to try a move.
Hamilton Charges, Albon Holds
Hamilton’s early switch to slicks paid off. He passed Sainz, Colapinto, Hulkenberg and Gasly in just a few laps. He climbed from 18th to seventh and closed in on Albon late on.
But the Williams driver held firm. Albon started fifth and finished sixth. He defended cleanly through Spa’s faster sections and managed his battery deployment well in the final laps.
Midfield Movers and Faders
Liam Lawson delivered another strong result for Racing Bulls, finishing eighth. Gabriel Bortoleto took ninth for Kick Sauber for his second points finish of the season and his F1 career.
Pierre Gasly rounded out the top 10. He led a DRS train for much of the race and fended off Bearman late on. Bearman finished 11th, just outside the points.
Hulkenberg dropped to 12th after making a second stop. Tsunoda slipped to 13th as his tyres faded. Stroll, Ocon, Antonelli, Alonso and Sainz made up the next group, with Colapinto and Hadjar completing the classified finishers.
Despite the disruption at the start, the race ran green throughout. No Safety Cars. No Virtual Safety Cars. All 20 cars reached the flag.
Championship Picture – Real Momentum Shift
Piastri leads the Drivers’ standings with 234 points. Norris sits second on 226. Verstappen remains third on 165. The gap to the lead is now 69 points.
Russell is fourth on 147. Leclerc sits fifth on 119. McLaren tighten their grip on both titles heading into the break. Ferrari and Red Bull need answers.
Top 10 – 2025 Belgian Grand Prix
Pierre Gasly – Alpine
Oscar Piastri – McLaren
Lando Norris – McLaren
Charles Leclerc – Ferrari
Max Verstappen – Red Bull
George Russell – Mercedes
Alex Albon – Williams
Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari
Liam Lawson – Racing Bulls
Gabriel Bortoleto – Kick Sauber