Lando Norris Reacts to Losing from Pole at Belgian Grand Prix:
Lando Norris started the Belgian Grand Prix on pole position but lost the lead to Oscar Piastri on the opening lap. Piastri then maintained his lead throughout the race despite pitting just once, and crossed the finish line on medium tires.
The race at Spa-Francorchamps was delayed by nearly an hour due to heavy rain that compromised visibility. Newsweek Sports reported that the Grand Prix faced a potential cancellation due to the rain. However, with the sun having come out after the brief spell of rain, the race began under the safety car.
Piastri managed his race start well and stayed right behind Norris before finding an opportunity to overtake on the Kemmel Straight. When all cars pitted for slicks once the racing line had dried considerably, Piastri switched to the medium tires while Norris opted for the hard compound.
Towards the end of the race, Piastri's mediums held up well despite Norris closing the gap to him. However, a few mistakes by Norris led him to lose crucial time. There was also Norris' pit stop, which set him back by a few seconds.
Third placed Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren and Second placed Oscar Piastri of Australia and McLaren in parc ferme during the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de...
Third placed Lando Norris of Great Britain and McLaren and Second placed Oscar Piastri of Australia and McLaren in parc ferme during the Sprint ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 26, 2025 in Spa, Belgium. MoreNorris could have caught up with Piastri in the last four laps of the 44-lap race, but the lock-ups and Piastri's top performance meant Norris lost out on time by the time the chequered flag was waved. Addressing the lost lead to Piastri, Norris said after the race:
"Yeah, I mean, 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 yeah, nothing to complain of. Did a better job in the beginning, and that was it. Nothing more I could do after that point, so yes, I mean, we'd love to be up top, but Oscar deserved it today."
When asked if a victory was in sight if he kept his run clean, Norris said:
"Should have, would have, could have, so I'm not gonna — you know, Oscar deserved it. I'm sure I made a couple of mistakes, so if he drove a perfect race, I couldn't have won today.
"So I'll review my things, but so happy for the team, another one-two. I think our first one-two here for many, many years, so nice to bring that back to the team. And a well-deserved result for them and for Oscar, too."
Asked if he looked forward to next weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix at Budapest, the Briton said:
"Yes, Budapest is one of the best ones for me in terms of just what I've done there in the past years, and it's where I started my Formula One career. So yeah, always good memories and, yeah, normally one that suits me a bit better than Spa, so happy with today, slightly disappointed, but of course looking forward to next week."
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