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2025 F1: Piastri beats Norris to win Belgian GP

Norris finished second, handing McLaren another 1-2 finish. Leclerc completed the podium.
3 min read28 Jul '25
Unnatee GidithuriUnnatee Gidithuri
2025 F1 Belgian GP winner Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris

Oscar Piastri extended his lead in the 2025 F1 championship after winning the Belgian GP. Following a delayed start due to heavy rain, Piastri made a decisive move on Lando Norris on the very first lap of racing and held onto that lead until the end.

Despite gaining some ground in the closing laps, Norris had to settle for second place, 3.415 seconds behind his McLaren teammate Piastri. Charles Leclerc completed the podium for Ferrari.

  1. Piastri wins, 3.415sec ahead of Norris
  2. Leclerc on podium
  3. Hamilton goes from pit lane to P7

Piastri wins 2025 F1 Belgian GP

McLaren scores another 1-2 finish, with Norris in P2

Piastri, Norris at 2025 F1 Belgian GP

The race was delayed by nearly 80 minutes due to heavy rainfall. And even when it did get underway, the first few laps were spent behind the Safety Car. Keen to bounce back after losing the Sprint Race win to Max Verstappen, Piastri didn’t waste any time making a move for the lead.

He got a better run on polesitter Norris through Eau Rouge and then breezed past his teammate on the Kemmel Straight. It was a crucial move that not only handed Piastri the lead but also gave him the upper hand for the upcoming pit stops.

While Piastri pitted on Lap 12 for fresh medium tyres, Norris was forced to complete another lap. McLaren did, however, mix up the strategy by fitting Norris’ car with hard tyres.

Piastri did well to manage his softer tyres till the end, but Norris did start chipping away at his lead in the closing laps. At one point, Norris was within 3.1 seconds of Piastri, but an error on the penultimate lap extended that gap to 3.4 seconds as both McLaren drivers crossed the finish line.

“It’s a great feeling to win one of my favourite races. I knew Lap One was probably my best chance of winning, so I committed and managed to make it work, which I am proud of,” Piastri said after the race. “We then managed the rest of the race really well. I struggled a bit towards the end of the Medium, but I felt we had it under control.”

F1 Belgian GP: Leclerc fends off Verstappen

Albon keeps Hamilton at bay

Charles Leclerc at 2025 F1 Belgian GP

Leclerc finished over 20 seconds off the lead, but the Ferrari driver was happy to hold on to the podium after a race-long battle with Verstappen. The Red Bull driver kept the pressure on till the very end and finished just 1.546 seconds behind Leclerc.

George Russell finished a fairly lonely P5. Behind him, Williams’ Alex Albon successfully fended off Lewis Hamilton to finish P6. Nevertheless, it was a strong result for Hamilton, who gained 11 places after starting from the pit lane (for taking new power unit parts).

“Today’s race was a really positive step forward. The strategy and pit stop were executed perfectly, and the overnight changes we made to the setup really allowed me to get the most out of the car. I felt much more comfortable behind the wheel, and I’m pleased with how everything came together,” said Hamilton.

Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly rounded out the top 10.

2025 F1 championship standings

Piastri has now extended his championship lead to 16 points over teammate Norris. Verstappen holds on to third place overall, but he’s now 81 points off the lead.

F1 will now head to the Hungaroring for the Hungarian GP from August 1-3.

2025 F1 Belgian GP results

2025 F1 Belgian GP results
PosDriverTeam
1Oscar PiastriMcLaren
2Lando NorrisMcLaren
3Charles LeclercFerrari
4Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing
5George RussellMercedes
6Alex AlbonWilliams
7Lewis HamiltonFerrari
8Liam LawsonRacing Bulls
9Gabriel BortoletoStake Sauber
10Pierre GaslyAlpine
11Oliver BearmanHaas
12Nico HulkenbergStake Sauber
13Yuki TsunodaRed Bull Racing
14Lance StrollAston Martin
15Esteban OconHaas
16Kimi AntonelliMercedes
17Fernando AlonsoAston Martin
18Carlos SainzWilliams
19Franco ColapintoAlpine
20Isack HadjarRacing Bulls

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2025 F1: Piastri beats Norris to win Belgian GP - Introduction | Autocar India