The 2025 Belgian Grand Prix, held at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit, was marked by unpredictable weather that profoundly influenced the course of the race. After a lengthy delay of over 1 hour 20 minutes caused by heavy downpours and reduced visibility, the cars started behind the safety car for four laps before a rolling start was given.
Piastri hits hard in the first round
Oscar Piastri, second on the grid behind his teammate Lando Norris, wasted no time. On the first flying lap, the Australian attacked Norris exiting La Source and took advantage of better traction and slipstreaming on the straight toward Les Combes to take the lead. This decisive overtake set the tone for a Grand Prix he would master perfectly.
Mastered strategy and tire management
Piastri made the right choices at the right time, quickly switching to slick tires as the track began to dry. He opted for medium tires, which he managed to conserve throughout his stint. This exemplary management, combined with an effective pit stop strategy, allowed him to maintain the advantage over Norris until the finish and claim his sixth victory of the season.
McLaren on display, Ferrari strong
Lando Norris, who had taken pole position, was unable to respond to his teammate's initial attack and had a clean but lackluster race, marked by a few mistakes in the closing laps. He finished just over three seconds behind Piastri, allowing McLaren to secure a resounding one-two finish. Behind, Charles Leclerc completes the podium. The Ferrari driver was never seriously worried by Max Verstappen, who took fourth place after a discreet race, despite his victory the day before in the sprint race.
Hamilton's comeback, a mixed weekend for the French
Lewis Hamilton was one of the day's key players. Qualifying in 18th position after a complicated Saturday, he took advantage of his wet weather setup to quickly move up the field. He was among the first to switch to slick tires, which allowed him to gain several places. His solid race allowed him to finish in seventh position, after an intelligent performance.
For the Frenchman, Pierre Gasly salvaged a valuable point with a hard-fought tenth place finish from Yuki Tsunoda. The Frenchman held off the Japanese driver's pressure until the final lap. On the other hand, it was a difficult weekend for Esteban Ocon and Isack Hadjar, who finished 15th and 20th respectively. Both were caught out by wet-weather setups, which proved ineffective on a track that was ultimately steadily improving.
Piastri widens the gap in the championship
With this victory, Oscar Piastri regains some breathing space in the overall world championship standings. He now has a 16-point lead over Lando Norris and interrupts his teammate's two-race winning streak. Spa-Francorchamps confirms McLaren's current dominance, which seems to have found the perfect formula to compete with Red Bull and Ferrari on all types of circuits.
