Oscar Piastri took a stunning maiden win at the rain-shortened Belgian Grand Prix. He ended up 3.415 seconds clear of his McLaren teammate, Lando Norris. The pole-sitter’s race started after an opening four-lap safety car period. Piastri proved his tactical acumen and adeptness at managing challenging conditions to propel himself further ahead in the Formula 1 Championship standings.
Yet it was Piastri’s brave first lap dive bomb on Norris that really lit the blue touch paper for a dramatic race. He slipstreamed behind Norris through the daunting Eau Rouge section, executing a committed pass down the Kemmel straight into Les Combes. His aggressive move on the first lap would make the difference. More than that, it illustrated his willingness to take action and capitalize on opportunities right away—not later, but now.
Strategic Mastery in Challenging Conditions
After the first few laps under safety car, Piastri showed incredible race management and maturity, holding the pack at bay. He made his first pit stop on lap 12, switching from inters to mediums as the track started to dry up. Clearly, his one-stop approach worked beautifully. His tire management was superb giving him a platform to keep his competitors at bay until the chequered flag.
Following his pit stop, Piastri didn’t waver in handling the race, showing resolve against heat late in the race. As the race wore on, even Norris himself began to make mistakes, squandering any hope of Piastri feeling serious pressure from behind. This freed up the Australian driver to focus entirely on defending his lead.
“The rest of the race we managed really well. I struggled at the end. Maybe the mediums were not the best for the last five or six laps. We had it mostly under control.” – Oscar Piastri
A Milestone Victory
Piastri took his sixth win of 2025 at Spa-Francorchamps. As a result of this win, he is the first Australian driver to win 2 or more races in a single Formula 1 season. This achievement now puts him in the company of legendary names like Jack Brabham and Alan Jones in Australian motorsport history.
The success at this year’s Belgian Grand Prix solidified McLaren’s dominance in the current season, marking their sixth one-two finish in just 13 races and their third consecutive win. Piastri’s performance not only bolstered his championship standing but highlighted the team’s competitive edge.
With this win, Piastri is currently standing on 266 championship points. He has now gained an even larger lead over Norris, who has 250 points to his name. The pair of competitors, who are teammates, will both be working to further separate themselves from the other as the season moves into its final stretches.
“Oscar just did a good job. Nothing more to say. Committed a bit more through Eau Rouge, and had the slipstream and got the run,” – Lando Norris
Looking Ahead
Regardless of difficult conditions, it’s hard to imagine that over the course of the season, Piastri’s confidence won’t be boosted by this victory. The young Australian has proven himself as a formidable contender in Formula 1, and his strategic acumen in difficult racing conditions is a testament to his growing prowess.
Our latest challenge is live! With teams starting to plan for the next races, Piastri will be focused on building his momentum and expanding his lead in the championship. And his ontrack rivalry with Lando Norris looks poised to produce some earthshaking drama. Both disciplines will stretch each other and drive each other to achieve greater heights.
