BELGIAN GP: PIASTRI EDGES OUT NORRIS AND EXTENDS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD, SOLID FERRARI

The internal win tally at McLaren now tips in favor of the Australian: Oscar Piastri leads 6–4 over Lando Norris, and with his victory at Spa, he also strengthens his lead in the drivers’ championship, sitting at 266 points versus Norris’ 250.

It was a wet, tense race, disrupted by bad weather and a lengthy delay before lights out — a full 80 minutes late, with four laps behind the Safety Car. But once the racing got underway, Piastri didn’t flinch. At the restart, through the most daunting part of the circuit — Eau Rouge-Raidillon — Oscar flexed his muscles: aggressive and precise, he immediately attacked Norris, caught his slipstream at the top of the hill, and flew past on the Kemmel Straight.

From that moment on, Norris was never able to mount a serious comeback. Strategy did the rest: Piastri was the first of the two to switch from intermediates to slicks, opting for mediums. Norris waited a couple more laps and chose hards, perhaps hoping his teammate’s tires would drop off. That drop-off never came. The gap held steady at around 7–8 seconds, narrowing slightly to 3.3 seconds in the final laps. But just when it seemed like a late twist might be coming, a few too many mistakes from Lando dashed any hopes of a fight.

McLaren has plenty to smile about: both of its drivers are pushing the limits in every session, and it’s that consistently high level that makes even the smallest error decisive — in qualifying and in the race. Sometimes it’s Norris who makes fewer mistakes, like at Silverstone or Spielberg, but this time, all the spotlight belongs to Piastri.

Leclerc Steady, Verstappen Behind

Among the key players, Charles Leclerc grabbed a valuable podium. Finishing third, he managed to keep a surprisingly subdued Max Verstappen behind him for the entire race. The Dutchman made his moves mostly in the wet phase, but Leclerc was flawless both in wheel-to-wheel combat and race pace, securing his fifth podium of the season (four third-place finishes and one second).

Without the low-downforce setup that made him untouchable in the Sprint, Verstappen looked more human. He followed Leclerc for 44 laps without ever really threatening. Red Bull didn’t get much else either, with Yuki Tsunoda dropping from P7 to P12 — the sixth straight race outside the points.

Hamilton Rises, Russell Holds Steady

Starting deep in the pack, Lewis Hamilton lit up the early wet portion of the race, climbing up to 13th. His key move came with an early switch to slicks, which vaulted him to seventh, where he finished. He tried to challenge Alexander Albon in the closing laps but couldn’t find a way past.

George Russell’s race was more uneventful: fifth, 34.8 seconds behind Piastri. No sparks, but no mistakes either — his twelfth points finish in thirteen races during a season more about consistency than fireworks.

Albon and Sainz Trade Places

Alexander Albon had a strong showing, finishing sixth in an improving Williams, aided by recent upgrades to the FW47. It was essentially a role reversal with Carlos Sainz, who impressed in the Sprint but then disappeared in both qualifying and the main race, finishing far outside the top ten.

Lawson and Bortoleto Impress, Antonelli Struggles

Liam Lawson also had a standout race, finishing eighth for Racing Bulls. His teammate Isack Hadjar had a nightmare second half, sinking to the back on slicks. Gabriel Bortoleto secured a valuable ninth for Sauber, wrapping up a clean, consistent weekend.

On the flip side, Andrea Kimi Antonelli had a rough outing: two tough qualifying sessions, a race compromised by contact with Esteban Ocon, and a P16 finish that extends his point-less streak to seven races.

Final Point to Gasly, Aston Martin Lost

The last point went to Pierre Gasly in P10, who held off Oliver Bearman’s Haas in the final stages. His teammate Franco Colapinto was well out of contention, and Esteban Ocon also faded into anonymity after a promising Saturday.

Finally, a bizarre weekend for Aston Martin. After blaming their dismal qualifying on a wet-weather setup aimed at Sunday’s race, their green machines were still stuck at the back even in the damp opening laps. A bold gamble that didn’t pay off — not in the wet, and not in the dry.

© Cavalieri Garage & Co.