Oscar Piastri flips script on first lap to win famous F1 race
Oscar Piastri has been hailed by title rival Lando Norris after taking a major step towards a first world championship title by defying wet conditions to win a rain-delayed Belgian Grand Prix.
Heading home McLaren teammate Norris, who had started on pole, means Australian driver Piastri's lead has jumped from nine to 16 points.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Oscar Piastri flips script on first lap to win famous F1 race.
It also halted his English rival's gathering momentum — Norris had won the previous two races to slash Piastri's overall lead to single figures.
Norris, who was passed by Piastri on the first racing lap at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday, said: 'Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Oscar deserved it.'
'Oscar just did a good job. Nothing more to say. Committed a bit more through Eau Rouge, and had the slipstream and got the run.
'So nothing to complain of. He did a better job in the beginning, and that was it. Nothing more I could do after that point. I would love to be up top, but Oscar deserved it today.'
The decisive moment of the afternoon came moments after the race finally got underway.
Piastri charged through the spray to slipstream Norris through the daunting Eau Rouge and scythed past on the uphill straight, with his overtaken teammate complaining of a possible battery issue.
Piastri then proceeded largely untroubled as he powered on to finish 3.415 seconds clear of his arch-rival.
Norris reduced Piastri's lead toward the end of Sunday's grand prix but the Australian held on with worn tires with his teammate unable to get close enough to challenge.
'I knew Lap 1 (after the safety car) would probably be my best chance of winning the race. I got a good exit out of Turn 1, lifted as little as I dared and yeah, we had it mostly under control,' Piastri said after his eighth Formula One career win and sixth of this season.
Piastri had been disappointed to qualify second for the race behind Norris, but it 'turns out starting second at Spa is not so bad after all'.
The world title initiative has suddenly swung back to Piastri, who heads to Hungary for next Sunday's grand prix having won his first race in Budapest last season.
Norris added: 'I'll review my things but still happy for the team, another 1-2 and our first 1-2 here for many, many years.'
The race had been red-flagged after an initial formation lap due to standing water and heavy spray affecting visibility.
That resulted in a delay of an hour and 20 minutes as officials waited for conditions at the notoriously weather-prone circuit to improve.
Charles Leclerc was a distant third for Ferrari as dominant champions McLaren celebrated their sixth one-two finish in 13 races and the third in a row.
Titleholder Max Verstappen, in his first full race under a new Red Bull chief following the departure of Christian Horner, finished fourth.
George Russell, of Mercedes, who crossed the line first in Spa last year but was disqualified due to his car being underweight, was fifth this time and Williams' Alex Albon came home sixth.
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