Oscar Piastri secured a vital victory over teammate Lando Norris in the Belgian Grand Prix, extending his championship lead to 16 points. The Australian driver took an early pass on Norris and never looked back, winning by a comfortable margin of 3.41 seconds.
Norris had started from pole position but struggled with tire wear in the closing stages, allowing Piastri to maintain control. Despite starting from second place, Piastri’s flawless start and aggressive driving allowed him to capitalize on his advantage.
Piastri’s win marked his sixth of the season and eighth of his career, while Norris was denied a third straight win. The McLaren driver praised Piastri for his “better job” in the beginning, acknowledging that he couldn’t do anything more after losing the lead.
Charles Leclerc took a morale-boosting podium finish for Ferrari, ahead of reigning champion Max Verstappen, who struggled to keep up with the dominant McLaren pair. Heavy rain before the start delayed the race but never materialized, and the track was ready for dry tires by the 12th lap.
The win marked Piastri’s confidence boost after a disappointing qualifying session on Saturday. Norris’ decision to switch to hard compounds proved costly, as he struggled with tire wear in the end.
McLaren dominated the race, with Leclerc finishing second and Verstappen taking fourth. George Russell secured fifth for Mercedes, while Alex Albon claimed sixth for Williams. Lewis Hamilton provided entertainment from the back of the grid, but ultimately finished seventh.
Formula 1 will return next week at Budapest’s Hungarian Grand Prix, marking the final event before a four-week summer break.
Source: https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/45803070/dominant-oscar-piastri-wins-belgian-gp-extends-f1-championship-lead