Piastri beats Norris to win Formula 1's rain-delayed Belgian Grand Prix
Article content
Piastri eased past his teammate and title rival Norris on the first racing lap after the safety car pulled into the pits on lap four, following a delay to the start of more than an hour.
Article content
Norris reduced Piastri's lead toward the end of the race but the Australian held on with worn tires and Norris couldn't get close enough to challenge.
Article content
Article content
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
National Post
29 minutes ago
- National Post
Three things we learned from Belgian F1 Grand Prix
Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium — Drivers and team bosses are divided on the future for wet-weather Formula One racing following an 80-minute rain delay that preceded Oscar Piastri's victory in Belgium on Sunday. Article content While old school racers including multiple champions Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen favoured a prompt start on a tricky circuit, younger drivers and team chiefs preferred to back race director Rui Marques's caution and wait for dry weather. Article content Article content Article content Piastri secured his sixth win of the season, with great aplomb that makes him favourite to beat McLaren team-mate Lando Norris to the drivers' title. Article content The Australian's consistency and mental strength helped him into a 16-point lead after 13 of this year's 24 races, but his drive was overshadowed by post-race arguments about racing in the rain. Article content Ferrari's Hamilton and Red Bull's Verstappen slammed the long delay and choice of rolling start, but others including Mercedes' George Russell and Williams' Carlos Sainz backed the 'safety first' decision at a track with a dark history of fatal accidents. Article content 'We could've gone miles earlier, an hour earlier,' said Verstappen. Article content 'It was a shame. It just ruins a nice classic wet race. Either we push to go for a wet race — or we just stop racing in the wet… and wait for it to be dry. But that's not what you want, right?' Article content Article content Verstappen's car was set up for extreme wet conditions, as forecast, but the decision meant he and others were disadvantaged. He finished fourth. Article content Triumphant McLaren team boss Andrea Stella, celebrating a sixth 1-2 this year, praised the move. Article content 'I think the race was managed in a very wise way by the FIA,' he said. Article content 'We knew there was a lot of rain coming and I think at a circuit like this if you make the calls late, it may be too late — and the outcome could be difficult.' Article content He emphasised the unique risks of the high-speed track through the forested valleys of the Ardennes. Article content 'I understand it would be entertaining, but the average speed is so high at Spa that in wet conditions it's impossible to see.' New Red Bull chief Laurent Mekies, in his first outing after replacing Christian Horner, said: 'I think we were all surprised by how late we started.'
Toronto Sun
an hour ago
- Toronto Sun
Three things we learned from Belgian F1 Grand Prix
Drivers and team bosses are divided on the future for wet-weather Formula One racing following an 80-minute rain delay McLaren's Oscar Piastri looks set for the title this year after a calm and controlled drive to win in Belgium. Photo by SIMON WOHLFAHRT / AFP Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium — Drivers and team bosses are divided on the future for wet-weather Formula One racing following an 80-minute rain delay that preceded Oscar Piastri's victory in Belgium on Sunday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account While old school racers including multiple champions Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen favoured a prompt start on a tricky circuit, younger drivers and team chiefs preferred to back race director Rui Marques's caution and wait for dry weather. AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from Sunday's race at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit: Safety first option sparks lively debate The decision to wait till the rain had passed before starting the Belgian Grand Prix met with a mixed reaction from the driversDimitar DILKOFF/AFP Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP Piastri secured his sixth win of the season, with great aplomb that makes him favourite to beat McLaren team-mate Lando Norris to the drivers' title. The Australian's consistency and mental strength helped him into a 16-point lead after 13 of this year's 24 races, but his drive was overshadowed by post-race arguments about racing in the rain. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Ferrari's Hamilton and Red Bull's Verstappen slammed the long delay and choice of rolling start, but others including Mercedes' George Russell and Williams' Carlos Sainz backed the 'safety first' decision at a track with a dark history of fatal accidents. 'We could've gone miles earlier, an hour earlier,' said Verstappen. 'It was a shame. It just ruins a nice classic wet race. Either we push to go for a wet race — or we just stop racing in the wet… and wait for it to be dry. But that's not what you want, right?' Verstappen's car was set up for extreme wet conditions, as forecast, but the decision meant he and others were disadvantaged. He finished fourth. Triumphant McLaren team boss Andrea Stella, celebrating a sixth 1-2 this year, praised the move. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I think the race was managed in a very wise way by the FIA,' he said. 'We knew there was a lot of rain coming and I think at a circuit like this if you make the calls late, it may be too late — and the outcome could be difficult.' He emphasised the unique risks of the high-speed track through the forested valleys of the Ardennes. 'I understand it would be entertaining, but the average speed is so high at Spa that in wet conditions it's impossible to see.' New Red Bull chief Laurent Mekies, in his first outing after replacing Christian Horner, said: 'I think we were all surprised by how late we started.' The former FIA deputy race and safety director added: 'Fundamentally, we waited not only for the rain to stop, but also pretty much for the sun to come out — and then we still had many laps behind the safety car. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'I'm sure the FIA had its reasons, but in our case, having based the car towards wet running, it cost us performance, but, it's all part of the game.' Red Bull win despite Verstappen losing Red Bull look set to retain Max Verstappen next year as his performances in Belgium ensure he will be in the top three for the summer breakSIMON WOHLFAHRT/AFP Photo by SIMON WOHLFAHRT / AFP Verstappen's fourth-placed finish had one upside for Mekies as a performance break clause in his contract lapsed. According to paddock sources, the Dutchman had a right to leave for 2026 if he was outside the top three drivers at the end of July, but his points in Belgium, including a sprint race win on Saturday, mean he cannot be overhauled. Verstappen is third behind the McLaren duo but 28 points ahead of Mercedes' George Russell, whose future was under threat from Verstappen's possible arrival. He cannot catch him even if he wins in Hungary this week. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton believes having brought in a former Mercedes engineer will improve his fortunesDimitar DILKOFF/AFP Photo by Dimitar DILKOFF / AFP Hamilton's roller-coaster ride since joining Ferrari continued as he went from 18th, and a pit lane start, to finish seventh. On Saturday, he apologised to Ferrari for his 'unacceptable' qualifying while critics noted that, at 40, he was struggling to cope –- two days after revealing he had bombarded senior Ferrari staff with memos for team improvements. After seeing him storm through the field, team chief Fred Vasseur joked Hamilton was now 'engineering the car himself', before the Briton revealed he had invited a former Mercedes engineer to join his team. 'We'll get stronger together now,' he promised. Check out our sports section for the latest news and analysis. Care for a wager? Head to our sports betting section for news and odds. Canada Editorial Cartoons Sunshine Girls Relationships Editorials
CTV News
12 hours ago
- CTV News
Bubba Wallace becomes first Black driver to win a major race on Indianapolis' oval
Bubba Wallace kisses the "Yard of Bricks" after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Sunday, July 27, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings) INDIANAPOLIS — INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Bubba Wallace climbed out of the No. 23 car Sunday, pumped his fists, found his family and savored every precious moment of a historic Brickyard 400 victory. He deserved every minute of it. The 31-year-old Wallace overcame a tenuous 18-minute rain delay, two tantalizing overtimes, fears about running out of fuel late and the hard-charging defending race champ, Kyle Larson, on back-to-back restarts to become the first Black driver to win a major race on Indianapolis Motor Speedway's 2.5-mile oval. No Black driver has won the Indianapolis 500, and Formula 1 raced on the track's road course. 'This one's really cool,' Wallace said. 'Coming off Turn 4, I knew I was going to get there — unless we ran out of gas. I was surprised I wasn't crying like a little baby.' His third career NASCAR Cup victory delivered Wallace's first victory in the series' four crown jewel events, the others being the Daytona 500, Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500. It also snapped a 100-race winless streak that dated to 2022 at Kansas and locked up a playoff spot. His only other win came at Talladega in 2021. The final gap was 0.222 seconds, but that was no measure of the consternation he faced. Larson cut a 5.057-second deficit with 14 laps to go to about three seconds with six laps left as the yellow flag came out for the rain. The cars then rolled to a stop on pit lane with four laps remaining, forcing Wallace to think and rethink his restart strategy. 'The whole time I'm thinking are we going? Are we not?' he said. 'I will say I leaned more towards 'I know we're going to go back racing. Be ready. Don't get complacent here.' Wallace made sure of it. He beat Larson through the second turn on the first restart only to have a crash behind him force a second overtime, forcing his crew to recalculate whether they had enough fuel to finish the race or whether he needed to surrender the lead and refuel. In Wallace's mind, there was no choice. 'The first thing that went through my mind was, 'Here we go again,'' he said. 'But then I said, `I want to win this straight up. I want to go back racing.' Here we are.' He beat Larson off the restart again and pulled away, preventing Larson from becoming the race's fourth back-to-back winner. The victory also alleviated the frustration Wallace felt Saturday when he spent most of the qualifying session on the provisional pole only to see Chase Briscoe claim the No. 1 starting spot with one of the last runs in the session. On Sunday, he made sure there was no repeat, providing an added boost to the 23XI Racing team co-owned by basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and last week's race winner, Denny Hamlin, as it continues to battle NASCAR in court over its charter status. 'Those last 20 laps there were ups and downs and I was telling myself 'You won't be able to do it,'' Wallace said. 'Once I'd seen it was Larson, I knew he won here last year and he's arguably the best in the field. So to beat the best, we had to be the best today.' The other big race — the In-Season Challenge — went to Ty Gibbs, who had a better car than Ty Dillon in qualifying and on race day. Gibbs finished 21st o win the inaugural March Madness-like single-elimination tournament and collect the $1 million prize. Dillon, a surprise championship round entrant after making the field as the 32nd and final driver, finished 28th. 'They brought me money guns and they jammed so I decided to take all the money and throwing it to the fans and they were all wrestling and fighting over it,' said Gibbs, who also received a title belt and a ring. 'But it's super cool. It's a cool opportunity.' Tire troubles At different points, Austin Cindric and three-time Cup champion Joey Logano appeared to be in control of the race, but tire problems took them out of contention. Eric Jones also was knocked out of the race when his right front tire came off between Turns 3 and 4, sending him hard into the outside wall on Lap 91. They weren't the only drivers who made early exits. Ross Chastain was the first out after just 18 laps when a tap from Michael McDowell sent Chastain's car spinning into the third turn wall and caused heavy damage. The others who were out before Lap 100 were Austin Dillon, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Cody Ware. Weathering the storm Series officials were concerned enough about the threat of rain that they moved up the start time by 10 minutes. Fifteen minutes probably would have eliminated the rain delay. But the threat of rain impacted the race long before the delay. Early in the second stage, some teams informed drivers rain was expected near the midway point and it seemed to increase the aggressiveness earlier in the race than expected. Monster advice Cookie Monster made it to the track Sunday, too. The beloved Sesame Street character, who served as the Brickyard's grand marshal, attended driver introductions and took a handful of questions before the race and even offered some advice to the drivers. 'Don't stop and ask for directions,' the furry blue character said. Up next Cup drivers will continue their brief Midwestern tour next Sunday when they race at Iowa. Michael Marot, The Associated Press
