Did Oscar Piastri Extend His Title Lead with a Win at the Rain-Soaked Belgian GP?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Piastri's victory marks his third win of the season.
- He now leads the Drivers' Championship by 16 points.
- The race featured a dramatic wet-to-dry transition.
- Norris finished second, reducing the gap in the championship.
- Strategic pit stops played a key role in the race outcome.
Stavelot, July 27 (NationPress) Oscar Piastri clinched a vital victory at the Belgian Grand Prix, successfully defending against his McLaren teammate and title contender Lando Norris in a thrilling race that transitioned from wet to dry conditions at Spa-Francorchamps. This victory enhances Piastri’s advantage in the Drivers’ Championship to 16 points, marking a significant moment in the title race.
Rain postponed the 44-lap event by nearly 80 minutes, but once the race commenced on Lap 5, Piastri quickly made his move. Starting next to Norris, who secured pole position, the Australian executed a strong launch through Eau Rouge and completed a clean overtaking maneuver along Kemmel Straight before entering the Les Combes braking zone. This move was critical, allowing Piastri to build and maintain a slender lead of approximately one second in the early laps.
As the track dried, strategic choices became crucial. Piastri was the first to pit, opting for medium tyres on Lap 12. Norris stayed out for an extra lap and chose hard tyres, rejoining the race nine seconds behind after his pit stop. Despite Norris closing the gap in the final stages, Piastri's tyre management was impressive. The distance shrank to 3.1 seconds with just two laps to go, but a minor misstep from Norris at La Source increased the gap to 3.4 seconds at the finish line.
In the end, Charles Leclerc from Ferrari finished a distant third, 20 seconds behind, managing to hold off pressure from Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver, who won Saturday’s Sprint, completed the race just 1.5 seconds behind Leclerc after a steady but uneventful pursuit.
Lewis Hamilton made an impressive recovery, climbing 11 places from a pit lane start, and was among the first to switch from intermediate tyres at the crucial crossover point, ultimately finishing seventh.
Piastri’s victory at Spa marks his third win of the season and sends a strong signal in the championship race. With a 16-point lead and the momentum on his side, the Australian now leads a McLaren-dominated title chase as the summer break approaches.