The leader of the series, Oscar Piastri, took an early advantage and extended his advantage of the title on Sunday when he led to a perfectly controlled victory ahead of McLaren’s teammate and the rival of the title Lando Norris in a Belgian Grand Prize delayed by the rain.
The 24-year-old Australian managed his tires expert to remain out of reach in the final laps when the 25-year-old British, who had started in Pole, closed a harder complex, ending 3,415 clear seconds when McLaren recovered from his sixth 1-2 in a dominant season.
It was Piastri’s first victory in the classic spa-Francorchamps circuit, his sixth this season and the eighth of his career, extending his advantage in the pilot championship to 16 points after 13 of the 24 races of this season. For McLaren, it was a tenth victory this year.
Charles Leclerc was a solid third for Ferrari before the four times Max Verstappen champion of Red Bull, under the leadership of the race of the new head of the Laurent Mekies team for the first time, and George Russell of Mercedes.
Alex Albon clung to sixth for Williams before chasing the seven -time world champion Lewis Hamilton from Ferrari, who started from the Pit Lane, and Racing Bulls’ rookie, Liam Lawson.
Gabriel Botoleto was ninth to Sauber ahead of Pierre Gasly de Alpine.
“That was animated!” The cold Piastri said, which passed beyond Norris in the return one.
“Very lively. I knew that the return one was probably my best opportunity to win the race. I raised a little while passing through Eau Rouge, and then it was enough.
“The rest of the race that we achieved very well. Maybe the medium was not the best in the last five six laps, but we had almost under control! He disappointed me after yesterday, but it turns out that starting the second was not so bad.”
Norris admitted that he could not have won.
“Oscar has just done a good job: there is not much more to say. He promised a little more in Eau Rouge and that was all. Oscar deserved it today.”
Leclerc said: “Max was behind me in two seconds in two seconds, so it is never easy. I knew that the first part was the most complicated, and I am quite happy to have managed to maintain that third place.”
The race began, after a delay of 80 minutes due to heavy rain, with the entire field in intermediates to run for four laps behind a safety car, clearing the stagnant water.
PIASTRI’S CRAFT AND CALM
Four drivers began from Pitlane, Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton, having made changes in their energy units or a configuration during the night. They started at the back of the field before the rolling start at the beginning of Tour Five.
When the lights became green, Norris left to direct through the source, but could not resist when Piastri slipped away from his slip to take the lead when he entered Les Combes Chicane.
“Why don’t I have a package?” Norris asked, realizing that he lacked electricity. “We use a lot in the restart of the security car,” McLaren replied.
In Vuelta 12, Hamilton was the first in the medium tires, he joined the 18, followed by Piastri, Leclerc, Verstappen, Russell and more. Norris stayed out of one longer for a longer time for the hard ones, hoping to benefit if his rival’s rubber was degraded in the final laps. He was the only one.
On Tour 15, everyone else had changed to media and was Piastri at the top ahead of Norris by 9.3 with the third leader of Leclerc Verstappen, Russell, Albon and … in flying way, Hamilton.
When Norris closed, Piastri said his tires were already degrading. “I think it will be difficult to reach the end,” Tom Stallard told the race engineer, raising the possibility of a dramatic end.
On Tour 26, Norris slipped even in Puhon, going back to nine seconds drifting before reassembling his load. It was a marginal gains process when Piastri handled his tires.
Norris was close, but the crafts and calm of Piastri prevailed.
