Formula 1: Piastri clinches crucial Spa victory, extends championship lead to 16 points
delivered a commanding performance at a rain-hit
Belgian Grand Prix
, fending off teammate and title contender
Lando Norris
to clinch his third win of the season. The
McLaren
driver now leads the
Drivers' Championship
by 16 points, heading into the summer break with momentum firmly in his favour, reported IANS.
The race at
Spa-Francorchamps
was delayed by nearly 80 minutes due to heavy rain, turning the 44-lap contest into a test of patience, precision, and tyre strategy. When racing finally got underway on Lap 5, it was Piastri who seized the moment. Starting alongside pole-sitter Norris, the Australian made an assertive move through Eau Rouge and passed his teammate on the Kemmel Straight before braking into Les Combes. That overtake proved crucial.
Kia Carens Clavis first drive review: Game-Changer for electric MPVs? | TOI Auto
As the track dried, strategy came to the forefront. Piastri opted to switch to medium tyres on Lap 12, while Norris stayed out for an extra lap and gambled on hard compounds. The decision saw him rejoin nine seconds behind. Although Norris chipped away at the gap and got within striking distance in the final laps, a lock-up at La Source ended his charge, allowing Piastri to cross the line with a 3.4-second lead.
Ferrari's
Charles Leclerc
took the final podium spot, 20 seconds behind the leading McLaren pair.
Max Verstappen
, who had won the Sprint race on Saturday, applied pressure but ultimately finished fourth, just 1.5 seconds adrift of Leclerc.
Further down the field,
Lewis Hamilton
staged an impressive recovery drive in his Ferrari. Starting from the pit lane, he climbed 11 positions and was among the first to switch from intermediates during the crossover window, eventually finishing seventh.
For Piastri, this win is more than just another tick in the victory column—it's a statement. With the season now at its halfway point, the 23-year-old leads what has become a McLaren-dominated title battle, and he's looking increasingly like the man to beat. (Inputs from IANS).
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world at
Times of India
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In the end, what we saw was frustration from a team that is used to dominating at home. It's rare to see England settle for a draw twice in the Bazball era. Remember, this is the first time Ben Stokes abandoned his principle of batting first after winning the toss — and it happened against India. This draw, without any weather intervention, came against India. That says a lot. India has forced Stokes to rethink his approach and leadership style. What we saw towards the end was a captain frustrated, unaccustomed to such results, and having to fight so hard to secure a favorable outcome. He thought the win was sealed, and finally, I must say, he behaved like a bit of a spoilt kid. 'After hours of watching Jadeja and Washington bat for hours, both nearing centuries, there was no way India would have accepted his declaration offer. Ben Stokes will regret that moment — and that frustration only tells you how much this new-age Indian batting line-up has unsettled England throughout the series,' the former India batter added. No personal milestones before team's goal for Ben Stokes: Jonathan Trott Manjrekar's English counterpart Jonathan Trott also chipped in on the 'handshake' controversy on the final day. Trott revealed that Stokes gesture was a common practice in England in Test cricket. 'I am not sure if it was necessary, but the common practice — certainly here in England — is that if you're offered the opportunity to finish the game early, it's usually more about the game situation than personal milestones. From Ben Stokes' perspective, no personal milestone comes ahead of the team's goal. In this case, India's goal was to secure a draw, and they achieved that,' JioHotstar expert Jonathan Trott said. 'So for England, the expectation was that India would shake hands and walk off with 80 not out — that would normally suffice. But I can also understand the other side. For someone like Washington Sundar, who has batted so well, giving up the chance to score a debut hundred is not easy. You never know when another opportunity will come. So, I understand both viewpoints. England are probably a little frustrated but that's natural. What this does, though, is set things up nicely for the next Test. It's going to be spicy, and I'm looking forward to it,' he added. 'England bowlers performance is very worrying' Even after leading Team India by 311 runs in the first innings, England bowlers failed to bowl out Shubman Gill's side in the Manchester Test. English bowlers got the perfect start with two wickets in the very first over of the Indian innings but only picked up two more wickets for better part of two days. 'England tried everything, didn't they? They can't say they didn't give their best. But for me, the concern lies in the quality — and as an England fan and former player, with the Ashes coming up and this series on the line, it's worrying. England bowled 142 overs and managed just two wickets on a Day 4 and 5 pitch where the ball was keeping low. Both wickets came in the first over. That's slightly concerning because they had two bites at the new ball when India were under pressure, yet couldn't capitalize. 'Looking at India, though, we've discovered another strong left-handed batter and a quality all-rounder in Washington Sundar — just 25-26 (years old). He can excel in both disciplines and looks like the heir apparent to Ravindra Jadeja whenever he decides to hang up his boots. Sundar has batted magnificently, and he seems capable of playing for a long time. This makes India's selection tricky going forward, but it certainly makes the team a lot stronger,' Trott said.
