McLaren dominates Belgium: Piastri's victory puts Norris under pressure
Spa-Francorchamps, July 27, 2025 — On a soaking wet and tense afternoon in the Ardennes, Oscar Piastri delivered and took his sixth victory of the season at the legendary Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. What began with a rain delay of almost an hour and a half and several laps behind the safety car, culminated in mounting championship pressure. Start: Rain delays the spectacle, but Piastri is sharp After a nearly hour and a half delay due to heavy rain and thick fog, race control decided on a rolling start behind the safety car; a decision that led to divided reactions. Max Verstappen called it "overly cautious," while drivers like Russell and Leclerc emphasized safety after previous tragic incidents at Spa. As soon as the field was released, Piastri immediately struck. With a perfect exit from Eau Rouge and a clever slipstream on the Kemmel Straight, he took the lead from polesitter Lando Norris on lap 5. Leclerc held on impressively in third place, with Verstappen breathing ...