2025 F1: Piastri beats Norris to win Belgian GP

Oscar Piastri has extended his 2025 F1 championship lead after winning the Belgian GP. Following a delayed start due to heavy rain, Piastri made the decisive move on Lando Norris on the very first lap of racing and held on to that lead till the end.

Despite gaining some ground in the closing laps, Norris had to settle for second place, 3.415 sec behind his McLaren teammate Piastri. Charles Leclerc completed the podium for Ferrari.

1. Piastri wins, 3.415 sec ahead of Norris

2. Leclerc on podium

3. Hamilton goes from pitlane to P7

Piastri wins 2025 F1 Belgian GP

McLaren scores another 1-2 finish, with Norris P2

The race was delayed by nearly 80 minutes due to heavy rainfall. And even when it did get underway, the first few laps were spent behind the Safety Car. Keen to bounce back after losing the Sprint Race win to Max Verstappen, Piastri didn’t waste any time to make a move for the lead.

He got the better run on polesitter Norris through Eau Rouge and then breezed past his teammate on the Kemmel Straight. It was a crucial move that didn’t just hand Piastri the lead, but also the upper hand for the upcoming pit stops.

While Piastri pitted on Lap 12 for fresh medium tyres, Norris was forced to complete another lap. McLaren did, however, mix up strategy by fitting Norris’ car with hard tyres.

Piastri did well to manage his softer tyres till the end, but Norris did start chipping away at his lead in the closing laps. At one point, Norris was within 3.1 sec of Piastri, but an error on the penultimate lap extended that gap to 3.4 sec as both McLaren drivers crossed the finish line.

“It’s a great feeling to win one of my favourite races. I knew Lap One was probably my best chance of winning, so I committed and managed to make it work, which I am proud of,” Piastri said after the race. “We then managed the rest of the race really well. I struggled a bit towards the end of the Medium, but I felt we had it under control.”

F1 Belgian GP: Leclerc fends off Verstappen

Albon keeps Hamilton at bay

Leclerc finished over 20 sec off the lead, but the Ferrari driver was happy to hold on to the podium after a race-long battle with Verstappen. The Red Bull driver kept the pressure on till the very end, and finished just 1.546 sec behind Leclerc.

George Russell finished a fairly lonely P5. Behind him, Williams’ Alex Albon successfully fended off Lewis Hamilton to finish P6. Nevertheless, it was a strong result for Hamilton, who gained 11 places after starting from the pit lane (for taking new power unit parts).

“Today’s race was a really positive step forward. The strategy and pit stop were executed perfectly, and the overnight changes we made to the set-up really allowed me to get the most out of the car. I felt much more comfortable behind the wheel, and I’m pleased with how everything came together,” said Hamilton.

Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly rounded out the top 10.

2025 F1 championship standings

Piastri has now extended his championship lead to 16 points from teammate Norris. Verstappen holds on to third place overall, but he’s now 81 points off the lead.

F1 will now head to the Hungaroring for the Hungarian GP on August 1-3.

2025 F1 Belgian GP results

Also see:

Red Bull sacks F1 team boss Christian Horner

2025 F1: Norris wins British GP; Hulkenberg scores first F1 podium