Oscar Piastri led residence Lando Norris for his sixth win of the 2025 Components 1 season as McLaren scored one other 1-2 at a wet-to-dry Belgian Grand Prix.
On diverging methods, Piastri made a one-stop from intermediates to medium tyres work to maintain a chasing Norris at bay on a drying observe, with Charles Leclerc beating Max Verstappen to 3rd.
The beginning process for F1's Belgian Grand Prix was suspended resulting from poor visibility reported by many drivers on the formation lap.
Contemporary showers additional hampered the organisers' efforts to enhance observe situations, however after a break within the climate a prolonged effort was made to take away standing water.
Race management ultimately commenced the competition over an hour after the unique begin time, at 16:20 native, with 4 laps behind the security automotive adopted by a rolling begin.
The FIA Security Automotive within the Pitlane
Picture by: Steven Tee / LAT Pictures by way of Getty Pictures
As the sector was launched on lap 5 of 44, Piastri instantly attacked polesitter Norris with a courageous run by means of Eau Rouge and Raidillon sticking to Norris' gearbox, simply drafting previous on the Kemmel Straight to take the lead into Les Combes.
Additional again, George Russell acquired previous fifth-starting Alex Albon in the identical nook on the next lap. Norris caught with Piastri because the pair broke clear from third-placed Leclerc, who quickly began holding up Verstappen with a decrease downforce setup on his Ferrari.
The most important early mover was Lewis Hamilton, who began from the pitlane with a brand-new Ferrari engine and scythed by means of the midfield from sixteenth to thirteenth within the house of 4 laps. The seven-time world champion additionally led the primary gamblers for slicks, coming in for mediums on lap 12 as did Nico Hulkenberg, Pierre Gasly and Fernando Alonso.
Hamilton instantly set a quickest second and third sector, prompting chief Piastri to come back in on lap 12 adopted by Leclerc and Verstappen, whereas Norris continued for another lap to place him at an obstacle to Piastri, rising eight seconds behind. To maintain Norris' win possibilities intact, his group determined to place him on an alternate technique on arduous tyres as a substitute, aiming to go to the tip on the way more sturdy C1 tyres in comparison with Piastri's medium C3s.
Because the crossover to slick tyres shook out, there have been no modifications in place for the highest six, however Hamilton's early transfer labored out superbly as he vaulted as much as eighth, which turned seventh after passing Liam Lawson.
Norris stabilised the hole to Piastri on eight seconds, with the Australian now being challenged to make his set of mediums final till the tip of the race as effectively. In the meantime, Verstappen's problem for Leclerc's podium spot began to fade across the midway mark as he struggled to remain inside two seconds of the Ferrari, with Russell, Albon and Hamilton additional behind.
An uneventful second half of the race became a battle of diverging methods, with Norris beginning to flip up the wick on his intrinsically a lot slower however extra sturdy hards, whereas Piastri was now totally dedicated to making an attempt to nurse his mediums to the tip. The online results of these two totally different approaches have been comparatively comparable laptimes between the pair. Norris was slowly making inroads on his team-mate, but it surely quickly turned obvious he would solely be within the hunt if the Australian was pressured to pit a second time.
Lando Norris, McLaren
Picture by: Zak Mauger / LAT Pictures by way of Getty Pictures
However whereas Piastri battled degradation, he managed to maintain a five-second buffer till the tip, aided by Norris going over the restrict on a number of events in a determined bid to bridge the hole. Piastri crossed the road 3.4 seconds forward in one other McLaren 1-2 victory.
Underlining McLaren's domination in blended situations, Leclerc completed third over 20 seconds behind Piastri, with Verstappen a detailed fourth after being unable to threaten the Monegasque. Russell was one other 13 seconds behind Verstappen in fifth in what was an honest outcome however a worrying efficiency for Mercedes within the face of Ferrari's enhancements.
Hamilton could not fairly spherical off a commendable comeback race by overtaking Albon's Williams for sixth, with the Anglo-Thai driver expertly defending his place whereas Hamilton was caught in DRS vary. Lawson took eighth for Racing Bulls after a lonely afternoon, whereas Gabriel Bortoleto was being allowed previous Sauber team-mate Hulkenberg as he proved faster on the day, taking ninth.
Hulkenberg opted for a second pitstop as a substitute, giving up tenth place however the German was unable to make that decision repay. Gasly was promoted into the ultimate factors place in tenth, with Hulkenberg caught in twelfth behind Haas' Oliver Bearman.
Whereas Hamilton moved up, it was an extended afternoon for fellow pitlane starters Kimi Antonelli, Fernando Alonso and Carlos Sainz, who completed on the rear of the sector. All 20 drivers made it to the end line, with Isack Hadjar the one driver to be lapped after dealing with an undiagnosed downside together with his Racing Bulls machine.
Within the championship Piastri's sixth win extends his lead on Norris by seven factors to 16 items, with Verstappen now 81 factors adrift in third. Properly behind the dominant McLarens, Ferrari strengthened its maintain on second within the constructors' desk in opposition to Mercedes and Pink Bull.
F1 Belgian GP – race outcomes
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