The Belgian Grand Prix once more offered drama, with heavy rain delaying the beginning earlier than Oscar Piastri romped to victory forward of staff mate and title rival Lando Norris.
After seeing his championship lead slashed in latest weeks, Piastri extended the margin back up to 16 points, finishing a Lap 1 overtake on Norris to place himself on the trail to the highest step of the rostrum.
With loads of storylines all through the sphere, right here is our spherical up of all the things that occurred at Spa-Francorchamps…
Piastri beats Norris as moist climate hits Spa
Piastri misplaced the lead of Saturday’s Dash to Max Verstappen, with the Red Bull driver finishing a textbook slipstream transfer alongside the Kemmel Straight and into Les Combes. On Sunday, in moist circumstances and from a rolling begin, Piastri executed a mirror-image transfer on staff mate Norris.
After a single lap behind the Security Automobile, the beginning was postponed, leading to an 80-minute wait, and three additional laps behind the Aston Martin Vantage earlier than racing would start.
As soon as Piastri had made his transfer after the rolling begin, the one jeopardy got here when altering to slick tyres. Like nearly all of the sphere, the Australian noticed medium rubber fitted to his McLaren. However Norris opted for a set of laborious Pirellis, protecting the likelihood that Piastri would want one other cease to achieve the chequered flag.
Nevertheless, the Australian managed his personal tyres perfecly proper to the chequered flag, while some minor errors from the chasing Norris prevented the Briton from launching an efficient assault of his personal late on.
“I used to be a bit dissatisfied it was a rolling begin as a result of I assumed that was going to remove some alternative,” mentioned Piastri after the race.
“I bought a very good exit out of Flip 1, was in a position to keep shut and once I was that shut I knew that I’d simply bought elevate a bit bit lower than Lando did and try to hold it on the monitor.
“A bit vigorous up over the hill, however managed to make it stick and from there the tow helped me out. I’m happy with my first lap.”
Hamilton redeems his disastrous weekend, whereas Leclerc claims his fifth podium of 2025
Lewis Hamilton was trapped in a nightmare for almost all of his Belgian Grand Prix weekend, struggling in direction of the foot of the order whereas watching his Ferrari staff mate, Charles Leclerc, difficult on the entrance.
Out within the first phases of each Dash Qualifying and Qualifying, Hamilton had additionally didn’t make significant progress within the Dash. In distinction, Leclerc began the Dash from fourth, and certified for the Grand Prix in third.
Ferrari introduced what is predicted to be the staff’s ultimate main improve of the 2025 season to Belgium – a brand new rear suspension meeting – with opinions cut up on the advantages.
However the Grand Prix noticed a masterful name from Ferrari to pit Hamilton for slick tyres first, yielding a major undercut that catapulted the pit lane starter into the points-paying positions, the place he remained.
Equally sturdy within the Grand Prix, Leclerc appeared snug, main Verstappen for all the 44-lap length to return to the rostrum for the third time in 5 weekends.
“I am blissful to have come from all the best way again there, recovered and bought into the factors,” mentioned Hamilton. “The staff did an amazing job as they at all times do all through the weekend and so they did an amazing job with the technique so large because of them and I am going to try to do a greater job for them subsequent weekend.”
Verstappen secures his first Dash win of the season
When becoming the slimmest of rear wings to his Crimson Bull for Dash Qualifying, Verstappen made his gameplan clear – sacrifice velocity within the twisty center sector, however blitz the straights.
Beginning Saturday’s Dash from second, the Dutchman’s plan went completely, as he dropped again from Piastri on the entry of Eau Rouge in order to slingshot past the McLaren driver earlier than the entry of Les Combes.
The unimaginable straight line velocity of the Crimson Bull then made it unimaginable for Piastri to get shut, even with DRS open.
Cautious of rain on Sunday, Crimson Bull ran a extra draggy rear wing for the Grand Prix, a call that gave tempo within the early damp circumstances, however restricted his capability to problem Leclerc within the dry.
“Yesterday was a optimistic consequence for us, however it isn’t a sensible consequence, as a result of we’re means slower,” mentioned Verstappen. “However at the moment, I attempted. All in all, with the choice making and the arrange that we selected with the wing didn’t assist.
“However nonetheless, P3 was most likely the utmost potential with the perfect state of affairs and, sadly, this didn’t occur at the moment.”
Have Mercedes taken a ‘large step backwards’?
On a weekend by which Ferrari secured a podium consequence – strengthening their maintain on second place within the Groups’ Championship – their rivals Mercedes gave the impression to be dealing with a very powerful time.
George Russell was left dissatisfied by his P6 in Saturday’s Qualifying, a consequence that he felt was “the utmost we may have achieved”. The Briton mentioned of the efficiency: “All of my laps have been sturdy, but it surely’s clear that, as a staff, we’ve taken an enormous step backwards this weekend. We don’t actually know why.”
Russell went on to achieve a place come race day, crossing the road in fifth, however added that the consequence was “most likely flattering” as he prompt that the Silver Arrows had change into slower since taking a “new route”.
It was not simply Russell chopping a downbeat determine within the Mercedes storage. The weekend at Spa proved to be a difficult one for staff mate Kimi Antonelli, who ended Dash Qualifying in the back of the sphere earlier than then ending Saturday’s foremost Qualifying down in P18.
With this extending his run of difficult races, Antonelli mirrored on this “tough interval” afterwards: “I simply have to get out of this and attempt to enhance for the following one.”
There seemed to be a optimistic word on the finish of Sunday for the Italian, who admitted {that a} new wing on the W16 had elevated his confidence. However with Antonelli nonetheless ending exterior of the factors in P16, Mercedes might be hoping for his or her fortunes to enhance subsequent weekend in Hungary.
The celebrities take pleasure in Spa
Spa-Francorchamps is a venue loved by F1 drivers and followers alike – and it seems to be like a number of well-known names really feel the identical means concerning the well-known monitor, with quite a few celebrities making an look throughout the weekend.
Amelia Dimoldenberg swapped the hen store for a Method 1 circuit, the presenter having been seen watching the motion from the Haas storage.
Actual Madrid and Belgian nationwide staff goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, in the meantime, soaked up the environment throughout Saturday’s Dash day earlier than presenting the highest three finishers with their trophies – and solely barely towering over them within the course of…
When it got here to Sunday’s race, one other considered one of Belgium’s well-known sporting stars was in attendance, with former F1 driver Jacky Ickx waving the chequered flag on the finish of the 44-lap encounter.
