All the important thing moments as Oscar Piastri wins whereas questions are raised for Mercedes and Ferrari

The Belgian Grand Prix once more offered drama, with heavy rain delaying the beginning earlier than Oscar Piastri romped to victory forward of staff mate and title rival Lando Norris.

After seeing his championship lead slashed in latest weeks, Piastri prolonged the margin again as much as 16 factors, finishing a Lap 1 overtake on Norris to place himself on the trail to the highest step of the rostrum.

With loads of storylines all through the sector, right here is our spherical up of every part that occurred at Spa-Francorchamps…

Piastri beats Norris as moist climate hits Spa

Piastri misplaced the lead of Saturday’s Dash to Max Verstappen, with the Pink Bull driver finishing a textbook slipstream transfer alongside the Kemmel Straight and into Les Combes. On Sunday, in moist circumstances and from a rolling begin, Piastri executed a mirror-image transfer on staff mate Norris.

After a single lap behind the Security Automotive, the beginning was postponed, leading to an 80-minute wait, and three additional laps behind the Aston Martin Vantage earlier than racing would begin.

As soon as Piastri had made his transfer after the rolling begin, the one jeopardy got here when altering to slick tyres. Like the vast majority of the sector, the Australian noticed medium rubber fitted to his McLaren. However Norris opted for a set of exhausting Pirellis, masking the likelihood that Piastri would wish one other cease to achieve the chequered flag.

Nonetheless, the Australian managed his personal tyres perfecly proper to the chequered flag, while some minor errors from the chasing Norris prevented the Briton from launching an efficient assault of his personal late on.

“I used to be a bit disillusioned it was a rolling begin as a result of I believed that was going to remove some alternative,” stated Piastri after the race.

“I obtained a superb exit out of Flip 1, was capable of keep shut and after I was that shut I knew that I’d simply obtained raise slightly bit lower than Lando did and try to maintain it on the observe.

“A bit full of life up over the hill, however managed to make it stick and from there the tow helped me out. I’m happy with my first lap.”

Hamilton redeems his disastrous weekend, whereas Leclerc claims his fifth podium of 2025

Lewis Hamilton was trapped in a nightmare for almost all of his Belgian Grand Prix weekend, struggling in direction of the foot of the order whereas watching his Ferrari staff mate, Charles Leclerc, difficult on the entrance.

Out within the first phases of each Dash Qualifying and Qualifying, Hamilton had additionally didn’t make significant progress within the Dash. In distinction, Leclerc began the Dash from fourth, and certified for the Grand Prix in third.

Ferrari introduced what is anticipated to be the staff’s last main improve of the 2025 season to Belgium – a brand new rear suspension meeting – with opinions cut up on the advantages.

However the Grand Prix noticed a masterful name from Ferrari to pit Hamilton for slick tyres first, yielding a major undercut that catapulted the pit lane starter into the points-paying positions, the place he remained.

Equally sturdy within the Grand Prix, Leclerc appeared comfy, main Verstappen for the whole 44-lap length to return to the rostrum for the third time in 5 weekends.

“I am blissful to have come from all the best way again there, recovered and obtained into the factors,” stated Hamilton. “The staff did an incredible job as they at all times do all through the weekend they usually did an incredible job with the technique so massive due to them and I will try to do a greater job for them subsequent weekend.”

Verstappen secures his first Dash win of the season

When becoming the slimmest of rear wings to his Pink Bull for Dash Qualifying, Verstappen made his gameplan clear – sacrifice velocity within the twisty center sector, however blitz the straights.

Beginning Saturday’s Dash from second, the Dutchman’s plan went completely, as he dropped again from Piastri on the entry of Eau Rouge so as to slingshot previous the McLaren driver earlier than the entry of Les Combes.

The unimaginable straight line velocity of the Pink Bull then made it unimaginable for Piastri to get shut, even with DRS open.

Cautious of rain on Sunday, Pink Bull ran a extra draggy rear wing for the Grand Prix, a call that gave tempo within the early damp circumstances, however restricted his capability to problem Leclerc within the dry.

“Yesterday was a optimistic end result for us, however it’s not a sensible end result, as a result of we’re means slower,” stated Verstappen. “However in the present day, I attempted. All in all, with the choice making and the arrange that we selected with the wing didn’t assist.

“However however, P3 was most likely the utmost doable with the perfect state of affairs and, sadly, this didn’t occur in the present day.”

Have Mercedes taken a ‘massive step backwards’?

On a weekend during which Ferrari secured a podium end result – strengthening their maintain on second place within the Groups’ Championship – their rivals Mercedes seemed to be going through a very powerful time.

George Russell was left disillusioned by his P6 in Saturday’s Qualifying, a end result that he felt was “the utmost we may have achieved”. The Briton stated of the efficiency: “All of my laps had been sturdy, but it surely’s clear that, as a staff, we’ve taken a giant step backwards this weekend. We don’t actually know why.”

Russell went on to achieve a place come race day, crossing the road in fifth, however added that the end result was “most likely flattering” as he urged that the Silver Arrows had turn into slower since taking a “new path”.

It was not simply Russell reducing a downbeat determine within the Mercedes storage. The weekend at Spa proved to be a difficult one for staff mate Kimi Antonelli, who ended Dash Qualifying in the back of the sector earlier than then ending Saturday’s primary Qualifying down in P18.

With this extending his run of difficult races, Antonelli mirrored on this “tough interval” afterwards: “I simply must get out of this and attempt to enhance for the following one.”

There seemed to be a optimistic word on the finish of Sunday for the Italian, who admitted {that a} new wing on the W16 had elevated his confidence. However with Antonelli nonetheless ending outdoors of the factors in P16, Mercedes shall be hoping for his or her fortunes to enhance subsequent weekend in Hungary.

The celebs take pleasure in Spa

Spa-Francorchamps is a venue loved by F1 drivers and followers alike – and it appears to be like like a number of well-known names really feel the identical means in regards to the well-known observe, with a variety of celebrities making an look throughout the weekend.

Amelia Dimoldenberg swapped the hen store for a Components 1 circuit, the presenter having been seen watching the motion from the Haas storage.

Actual Madrid and Belgian nationwide staff goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, in the meantime, soaked up the ambiance throughout Saturday’s Dash day earlier than presenting the highest three finishers with their trophies – and solely barely towering over them within the course of…

When it got here to Sunday’s race, one other one in every of Belgium’s well-known sporting stars was in attendance, with former F1 driver Jacky Ickx waving the chequered flag on the finish of the 44-lap encounter.