Lando Norris braced for rain-hit Belgian Grand Prix after clinching pole
Norris edged out McLaren team-mate Piastri by just 0.085 seconds at Spa-Francorchamps, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc third.
Advertisement
In the other scarlet car, Lewis Hamilton was eliminated in Q1 and was set to line up from a lowly 16th – a performance the seven-time world champion described as 'unacceptable'.
Norris secured his fourth pole of the season and his second in three races in dry conditions, but rain is forecast to hit Sunday's 44-lap race in the Ardennes.
However, Norris has won both of the two races staged in the wet this year – the curtain raiser in Melbourne and the last round in Silverstone three weeks ago – and said: 'It's probably going to rain and at Spa, there is a high chance it could just hit half of the track and not the other half, so we could be in for a chaotic race like Australia or Silverstone.
'Hopefully I can take advantage from being at the front, but I don't expect it to be dry. I expect it to be raining and for there to be more chaos.'
Advertisement
Norris qualified six tenths behind Piastri for Saturday's sprint race. He started third and finished in the same position with Piastri one place above him – allowing the Australian to extend his championship lead from eight points to nine.
Max Verstappen won the first Formula One race staged following Christian Horner's dismissal as Red Bull team principal and the defending champion will start from fourth for Sunday's main event.
Max Verstappen held off Oscar Piastri (left) and Lando Norris to win the sprint race. Photo: Bradley Collyer/PA.
Yet in qualifying on Saturday, Norris delivered with his first lap in Q3 to hold a near two-tenth advantage over Piastri heading into the concluding runs and although he failed to improve and Piastri did, it was enough to take the 13th pole of his career as he bids for a hat-trick of consecutive wins.
'Everyone was pretty worried after yesterday but I wasn't even that far off,' said Norris.
Advertisement
'There was nothing to worry about, but people like to make a lot of things up. It was just a couple of little issues that I had.
'I was confident coming into today so it was nice to get back on top.'
At the other end of the grid, Hamilton will have just four drivers behind him when the lights go out on Sunday. His lap was chalked off by the stewards after he ran all four wheels of his Ferrari off the circuit at Raidillon.
Hamilton described his performances in Belgium as 'unacceptable' Photo: Bradley Collyer/PA.
Hamilton, who spun in qualifying for the sprint race and then improved only three places from his grid slot of 18th, is without a podium for Ferrari – the deepest he has ever gone into a season without a top-three finish.
Advertisement
'I don't agree (with the stewards' decision), but I'm out,' said the 40-year-old. 'It was another mistake from my side and I have to look internally.
'I have to apologise to my team because it is just unacceptable to be out in both Q1s this weekend. A very, very poor performance.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
2 minutes ago
- The Independent
The key blueprint Oscar Piastri nailed to outfox Lando Norris in rain-impacted Belgian GP
In hindsight, Oscar Piastri 's wry smile was indicative of the events that followed. Sitting on pole for Saturday's sprint race, the Australian was powerless to stop Max Verstappen storming past him on the first racing lap. But for the grand prix, with McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris out in front, second-placed Piastri had the opportunity to follow suit. When asked, he attempted a poker face, but could not hide his clear agenda. And after a start which was delayed by one hour and 20 minutes following a heavy downpour on a murky day at Spa-Francorchamps, Piastri stole a march on Norris at the start – after four laps behind the safety car – with what turned out to be a simple overtake on the first racing lap. It would be the race-winning moment. As the track quickly dried up, the McLaren pair went on different strategies and it was Piastri who managed to keep the lead despite his set of worn-out tyres to claim his fifth victory of the season – and first in four races. The gap between the pair at the top is now 16 points, heading into round 14 in Hungary next weekend. Charles Leclerc took home a respectable third place for Ferrari, with Max Verstappen largely powerless in fourth. Lewis Hamilton, who started in the pit-lane, recovered impressively to come home in seventh to conclude a wretched weekend for the seven-time world champion. For Piastri, however, a rare expletive-led show of joy at the chequered flag: 'Nicely f****** done.' He later added: 'It was very lively! I knew lap one would be my best chance of winning the race. I lifted as little as I dared through Eau Rouge and it was enough. 'We had it mostly under control. Turns out starting second is not too bad after all.' Amid heavy rain at Spa-Francorchamps – four years on from a farcical two laps behind the safety car in treacherous conditions here – the race started behind the safety car with the formation lap. However, with the majority of drivers reporting poor visibility, including pole-sitter Lando Norris, the FIA took a cautious approach and the start was suspended. Max Verstappen, a master in the wet, disagreed with the call but was a lone voice in criticising the decision. The race was delayed for 80 minutes before the sun emerged over the hills of the Ardennes Forest, yet race director Rui Marques opted for the unorthodox rolling start, seemingly handing the initiative to pole-sitter Norris. TOP-10 - BELGIAN GRAND PRIX But Piastri, starting in second, crept up on the gearbox of his McLaren teammate and, at the start of the Kemmel Straight, pounced with a comfortable move and, in no time at all, opened up a sizable one-second lead in the rain. After a dozen laps, dry tyres were the optimal rubber and Hamilton – positioned at the start in de facto 17th after technically starting in the pit-lane – gambled first, in an attempt to make up some quick positions. Race leader Piastri dived into the pit-lane a lap later, given priority in the team-mate stakes courtesy of his superior position, and after a slow stop for Norris, the Australian had a seismic six second lead. 'No rush here,' said Norris's engineer Will Joseph, with a nod to Norris going to the end of the race on his set of hard tyres. The other 19 cars all switched to mediums. Further back, Ferrari's Leclerc was performing admirably in staving off a challenge from Verstappen while Hamilton was flying up the field: by lap 15, he was seventh, trailing George Russell in fifth and Alex Albon in sixth. The great unknown now was whether the medium tyre would stretch to the end of the 44 laps, particularly for race leader Piastri. With 10 laps to go, and backmarkers pitting for a second time, Piastri's lead of around eight seconds was diminishing at a dramatic rate, but when told by his engineer that a second stop wasn't an option, the cool-headed Aussie responded: 'I'm happy with that.' As it played out, Piastri's confidence was justified, with a winning margin of 3.4 seconds. And amid Norris's mid-season resurgence, a crucial swing back in Piastri's direction, as this to-and-fro papaya title race takes another twist.
The Independent
2 minutes ago
- The Independent
Oscar Piastri breezes past Lando Norris to claim Belgian Grand Prix victory
Lando Norris' world championship bid was dealt a blow in Belgium after he allowed rival Oscar Piastri to breeze past him and win Sunday's rain-hit Grand Prix race. The start of the 13th round in Spa-Francorchamps was delayed by one hour and 20 minutes due to heavy rain in the Ardennes. But when it eventually got under way – following four precautionary laps behind the safety car – Norris was found wanting when a sloppy exit at the opening La Source corner provided Piastri with a race-winning opportunity too good to turn down. Despite being in Norris' spray, Piastri held his nerve and kept his foot on the accelerator at 170mph up through Eau Rouge and into Raidillon before jinking to his left and sailing clear of his McLaren team-mate on the Kemmel Straight. It was brave and superb in equal measure from Piastri but one Norris will be disappointed after seeing the his rival's championship advantage increase from nine points to 16 ahead of the final round before the summer break in Hungary next weekend. Norris crossed the line 3.4 seconds behind Piastri with Charles Leclerc third for Ferrari. Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished fourth, one place clear of Mercedes driver George Russell with Alex Albon an impressive sixth in his Williams. Lewis Hamilton started 18th and finished seventh following a string of fine moves in the early inclement conditions. At one point, there were fears the race – initially pencilled in for a start time of 3pm locally – could be abandoned after it was suspended following the formation lap due to poor visibility. Verstappen described the decision as 'silly' and 'too cautious'. However, there have been 49 fatalities at this track in the last 100 years – most recently Dutch 18-year-old Dilano Van 't Hoff in 2023. And race director Rui Marques could be excused for taking that grizzly statistic into his consideration. The drivers returned to their respective garages, and as the rain lashed down, memories were cast back to the event in 2021 – one which was abandoned after only two laps behind the safety car. But the grey skies parted, the sun broke through, and at 16:20, pole-sitter Norris emerged on track, albeit behind the safety car, to huge cheers from the record-breaking crowd with 389,000 spectators over the last three days. With visibility quickly improving, the safety car peeled in after four laps, and Norris bunched up the pack before attempting to put distance between himself and Piastri. The advantage was in Norris's hands with Piastri having to navigate his team-mate's spray. But a scrappy exit at La Source from the Briton provided Piastri with the momentum and he soared past Norris and into the lead. Piastri was 1.5 seconds quicker than Norris on the first racing lap leaving the Englishman – who arrived here hoping to claim a hat-trick of wins – facing a mammoth and improbable task. Further back and Hamilton, armed with a new engine, passed both Carlos Sainz and Franco Colapinto in only a handful of corners before breezing clear of Nico Hulkenberg on lap eight for 14th. That became 13th a lap later following a fine move on Pierre Gasly. On lap 11, Hamilton, who had described his Q1 elimination on Saturday as 'unacceptable', was then the first of the major players to move to the slick tyres. A slingshot manouvere on Liam Lawson in the moments after he left the pits promoted him to a net seventh when it all shook out. In came leader Piastri for dry tyres on lap 12, with Norris in on the next lap. Norris took on the hardest tyre compound – the only driver to do so – in the hope that Piastri's medium rubber would not make it to the end. But in a blow to Norris, Piastri's rubber lasted all 44 laps as he claimed his sixth win of the season – two more than Norris – with the championship momentum swinging back to Australia.
Scottish Sun
2 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Lewis Hamilton makes amends for disastrous F1 Belgian GP weekend as Lando Norris loses ground after 80 MINUTE delay
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) OSCAR PIASTRI rained on Lando Norris' parade to win a sodden Belgian Grand Prix. The fearless Aussie driver left pole-sitter Norris for dust after just one lap to take the lead and see out a largely uneventful race in Spa. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Oscar Piastri extended his championship lead ahead by winning the Belgian GP Credit: Reuters 4 Lando Norris suffered a lap-one horror show as Piastri swept past the pole sitter Credit: AFP 4 Lewis Hamilton made a small amends to his disastrous weekend Credit: AP It means Piastri stretched his lead at the top of the table to 16 points from just eight ahead of the weekend, having also finished second in the sprint race, ahead of the third-place Brit. Charles Leclerc sealed the third and final podium spot today after a fierce battle with Max Verstappen, who had to settle for fourth, while George Russell came in fifth. Lewis Hamilton put in an absolute shift to finish in seventh from 18th after starting in the pit lane due to taking on a new power unit in his Ferrari. The race was delayed by a whopping one hour and 20 minutes after Spa was hit with its usual downpour, that even KO'd the race in 2021. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL ROSSED THE LINE Nico Rosberg in frosty exchange with Jos Verstappen over Christian Horner The safety car zipped around the track with the drivers following behind, with their cars spraying out water like sprinklers. After four laps it was a rolling start which got things underway as Norris held onto the lead with teammate Piastri snapping at his heels. The ruthless Aussie nearly smashed into the back of Norris on lap five but missed by a whisker before nipping past him to take the lead. Ferrari's Hamilton made a huge statement after what he described as a 'weekend to forget', charging into 13th from 18th after a blistering opening ten laps, before becoming the first driver to gamble on slick tyres on lap 12 - a decision which rewarded him with a big jump up the order to P8. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Meanwhile, Verstappen was in hot pursuit of Monegasque driver Leclerc in the battle for third and nearly nudged ahead. Race leader Piastri, Leclerc and Verstappen all pitted though as Norris momentarily regained the lead. Nico Rosberg in frosty exchange with Jos Verstappen over Christian Horner after Red Bull sacking The Brit stuffed up his pit stop though and lost a huge chunk of time staying out an extra lap as Piastri pulled clear. Seven-time world champion Hamilton worked tooth and nail and was running in seventh, right behind Alex Albon, halfway through the race. There was a tyre conundrum between the two McLarens as the race progressed, with Piastri asked to make a call on whether to make another pit stop or try to see it out until the end. The 24-year-old was on the medium tyres while Norris was on the more robust hard tyre and 15 laps, as dreary as talking about tyres, followed. Norris was the culprit of a silly mistake as he locked up at Turn 1 and lost more than half a second and it looked like game over to catch up with Piastri. The 25-year-old had other ideas though and was closing the gap into the dying laps, with five seconds separating them at the end. Piastri said on team radio after: "Nicely f***ing done" Meanwhile, Hamilton added over the team radio. "Sorry about this weekend and losing you points"
