Watch: Oscar Piastri's heart-stopping move that won him Belgian Grand Prix

India Today

12 hours ago

Oscar Piastri pulled off a bold early move on McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris to win a rain-delayed Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, extending his Formula One championship lead to 16 points.Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished a distant third as McLaren secured their sixth one-two finish of the season - and their third in a row - cementing their dominance in the 2025 campaign.advertisementThe race at Spa-Francorchamps was red-flagged after the formation lap and delayed by 1 hour and 20 minutes due to heavy rain, standing water, and poor visibility. Once racing resumed with a rolling start after four laps behind the safety car, Piastri wasted no time in taking control.
The 24-year-old Australian showed fearless commitment, using the slipstream through the iconic Eau Rouge before sweeping past Norris on the Kemmel Straight into Les Combes - a move that defined the race.Oscar Piastri wastes no time in seizing control of this race ??#F1 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/DaRxFSDtCt— Formula 1 (@F1) July 27, 2025"I knew lap one would be my best chance to win," Piastri said. "I got a good exit out of Turn One and lifted as little as I dared through Eau Rouge. We managed the race well overall, although the mediums were a bit tricky in the last few laps. Still, we kept it mostly under control."Piastri's sixth victory of the season puts him in elite Australian company, surpassing former world champions Jack Brabham and Alan Jones for most wins in a single season.Norris, who reported a brief battery issue early on, acknowledged that Piastri simply outperformed him."Oscar just did a good job. He was more committed through Eau Rouge, got the slipstream, and made the move. Nothing to complain about - he deserved it today," Norris said.A Championship Battle Between TwoWith 266 points to Norris' 250, Piastri now leads the championship by 16 points. Red Bull's Max Verstappen, the reigning champion, sits third with 185 points - 81 behind the leader - making it increasingly clear that this season's title fight is a McLaren-only affair.McLaren also lead the constructors' standings convincingly with 516 points, more than doubling Ferrari's 248. Mercedes, meanwhile, dropped further back on 220.Strategy proved crucial in Belgium. Piastri pitted on Lap 12 to switch from intermediates to medium tyres as the track dried. Norris followed one lap later, opting for hard tyres, but rejoined the race nine seconds adrift.While Norris hoped his teammate might need a second stop, Piastri made the mediums last in a well-managed one-stop strategy. Despite a late push from Norris, who was chasing a third consecutive win, Piastri held on to win by 3.415 seconds, never appearing flustered even as the gap briefly narrowed.The Rest of the GridadvertisementSaturday sprint winner Verstappen finished fourth in Red Bull's first race since the departure of team boss Christian Horner. Mercedes' George Russell took fifth, while Williams' Alex Albon impressively held off Lewis Hamilton to claim sixth.Hamilton, last year's Belgian GP winner, started from the pit lane after receiving a new engine overnight. He capitalized on the rolling start and was the first to switch to slicks, gaining six positions.Liam Lawson finished eighth for Racing Bulls, followed by Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) and Pierre Gasly (Alpine), who rounded out the top ten with a valuable point.Formula One now heads to Hungary next weekend, the final race before the August summer break. With momentum clearly on his side, Piastri will look to tighten his grip on the championship heading into the second half of the season.- EndsMust Watch