Piastri beats Norris to win rain-delayed Belgian Grand Prix
auto racing
Oscar Piastri had to wait, and wait some more. Then he made his move.
Piastri beat his McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris to win Formula 1's Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday after heavy rain delayed the start.
Piastri powered 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.
'I knew I was going to try and lift (off the accelerator) a little bit less than Lando did and try to make it stick,' said Piastri, admitting his car felt 'lively' as he took on the extra risk through the steeply uphill Eau Rouge corner.
Norris suggested over the radio he was having issues with the battery providing his electric power. McLaren chief executive Zak Brown told broadcaster Sky Sports that there was 'a small battery issue which we've got to look at.'
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.
Charles Leclerc was third for Ferrari after he kept Red Bull's Max Verstappen behind him all race.
Piastri extended his championship lead over Norris from nine points to 16 and denied his British teammate a third Grand Prix win in a row.
It was the second straight day that Piastri held off Norris after taking second place ahead of his teammate in Saturday's sprint, won by Max Verstappen.
Except for the weather, Piastri's overtake of Norris was almost a copy of Verstappen's opening-lap pass on the Australian from second on the grid in the sprint.
Piastri had been disappointed to qualify second for the Grand Prix behind Norris, but it 'turns out starting second at Spa is not so bad after all,' he said.
Piastri took his sixth win of the season and is the first McLaren driver to win the Belgian Grand Prix since Jenson Button in 2012.
Unlike the thrilling and chaotic last race in Britain, there was no significant rain after the race finally got underway and Sunday's race was largely a procession after a few early attacks on the still-wet track. Most key contenders switched to dry tires at roughly the same time and didn't have to stop again.
In Red Bull's first Grand Prix since the firing of Christian Horner as team principal, Verstappen failed with an attempt to get past Leclerc at the start and spent the rest of the race behind the Ferrari driver on his way to fourth.
George Russell was fifth for Mercedes after an early pass on Alex Albon, who finished sixth for Williams after holding off Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton, who was seventh.
The seven-time champion started 18th and Hamilton carved his way through the field on the wet track early on but then lost momentum. Liam Lawson was eighth for Racing Bulls, with Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto ninth and Pierre Gasly 10th for Alpine.
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Today
a day ago
- Japan Today
Lewis Hamilton says he's 'useless' and suggests a driver change at Ferrari after teammate takes pole
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain walks back to his pits after failing to complete during the qualifying session for the Hungarian Formula One Grand Prix at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod, Hungary, Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos) auto racing Lewis Hamilton called himself 'absolutely useless' and suggested Ferrari should change drivers after he qualified 12th for the Hungarian Grand Prix and teammate Charles Leclerc took pole position. It was a new low in a difficult first season with Ferrari for seven-time Formula 1 champion Hamilton, who qualified outside the top 10 for the second race in a row. "I'm useless, absolutely useless," Hamilton told British broadcaster Sky Sports. 'The team have no problem. You've seen the car's on pole. So they probably need to change driver.' Hamilton had said 'every time, every time' over the radio after he was eliminated in the second part of qualifying. That signified that 'it's me every time,' he clarified to Sky later. Hamilton had earlier seemed set to qualify 13th, and he was only promoted to 12th after the second part of qualifying had finished. That was because Kimi Antonelli's time was struck out after it was noticed the Mercedes rookie had gone outside the track limits. It was the second week running that Hamilton had been frustrated with his qualifying performance. He qualified 18th for the sprint race in Belgium last week after a spin, and 16th for the Grand Prix when one of his times was struck out. Still, Hamilton delivered one of his best drives of the year, cutting through the field on a wet track, and eventually finished seventh. After a move from Mercedes which stunned F1 last year, Hamilton has yet to finish on the podium in a Grand Prix race with Ferrari, with a best finish of fourth. He did win a sprint race in China in March, but a double disqualification for technical infringements on Hamilton and Leclerc's cars in the Chinese Grand Prix the next day required a time-consuming rethink of Ferrari's race setups. Leclerc is fifth in the standings, only one position ahead of Hamilton, but has five podium finishes in 2005. In Sunday's race, he'll aim to give Ferrari its first F1 win since October. Last week, Hamilton said it was 'crunch time' and revealed he's been holding a series of meetings with Ferrari executives to discuss improvements and ensure he has more of a say in how the team develops its car for the sweeping regulation changes coming in 2026. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Nikkei Asia
2 days ago
- Nikkei Asia
Cheap and sleek Chinese EVs turn European heads
BYD was the 10th most popular brand in Europe in the first half of this year, based on new car registration figures. JENS KASTNER HAMBURG, Germany -- European leaders can complain to Beijing all they want about cheap Chinese electric cars flooding the continent, but their resistance may be futile. This summer, more and more transporters have been spotted on Germany's autobahns ferrying loads of BYD, Leapmotor and Great Wall Motor cars from ports to dealerships. On Swedish and British roads, Xpeng and Polestar cars are also becoming more common.
Japan Today
3 days ago
- Japan Today
F1 champion Max Verstappen says he's staying with Red Bull team for 2026
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands walks in the paddock ahead of the Formula One Hungarian Grand Prix at the Hungaroring racetrack in Mogyorod near Budapest, Hungary, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (Boglarka Bodnar/MTI via AP) auto racing By JAMES ELLINGWORTH Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen says he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. 'Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama. But, for me, it's always been quite clear, and also for next year," the four-time champion said Thursday ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. "I'm discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I'm also staying with the team for next year.' Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull through 2028. At recent races he had deflected questions about whether he'd stay with the team next year, and there had been indications that a performance-related clause could allow him to exit the contract early. The details of any clause are not public. His announcement brings some much-needed stability for Red Bull, less than a month after Christian Horner was removed from his role as Red Bull team principal after 20 years and replaced by Laurent Mekies. Verstappen last week dismissed the suggestion that Horner's firing would affect his decision on his future. Red Bull is more dependent on Verstappen than any of F1's other leading teams are on any one driver. Of the 192 points Red Bull has scored this season, Verstappen contributed 185, while his teammate Yuki Tsunoda hasn't scored a point in the last six races. Teams are also well underway with developing cars for the major rule changes coming in 2026, so it would have been especially disruptive if Verstappen left. Mercedes driver George Russell had said he believed his team was holding talks with Verstappen, and speculation was further fueled by reports that Verstappen and Mercedes boss Toto Wolff's yachts were off the Italian island of Sardinia at the same time. 'If my boat is next to Toto's, then the boat is next to Toto's," Verstappen said Thursday. "You can have a personal relationship with someone even if you don't have a working relationship with someone.' With Verstappen out of the running for a Mercedes seat, it could speed up extensions for Russell and his 18-year-old rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli, who are not contracted beyond 2025. Russell and Verstappen are the only non-McLaren drivers to win Grand Prix races this season, while Antonelli started his debut season strongly but has missed the points in the last three races. Verstappen is heading into his 200th career race for Red Bull on Sunday, but it's not the first time the Dutch driver's future with the team has appeared uncertain. Last season, he confirmed his commitment to Red Bull in June after suggestions Mercedes could sign him to replace Lewis Hamilton, who was leaving for Ferrari at the time. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
