An early overtake and masterclass in tyre management has guided Oscar Piastri to victory in the Belgian Grand Prix, extending his lead in the drivers’ championship to 16 points.
Starting second at a wet Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, Piastri swooped past teammate and championship rival Lando Norris on the first racing lap to set up the win.
After the start of the race was suspended for an hour and 20 minutes, the drivers completed the first four laps behind the safety car, on intermediate tyres, before racing commenced on lap five.
Piastri was in no mood to sit behind his teammate and stayed on Norris’s rear wing down the long straight, then swooped around the outside to take the lead early.
“I knew lap one would probably be my best chance of winning the race,’ Piastri said in his press conference.
“I got a good exit out of turn one, lifted as little as I dared, and yeah, we had it mostly under control [from there].”
Oscar Piastri took the lead on lap five of 44 and never surrendered it. (Reuters: Stephanie Lecocq)
As the track quickly dried out, Piastri pitted at the end of lap 12 of 44 for medium compound tyres while Norris had to stay out an extra lap.
McLaren put their drivers on different strategies, with Norris having a deficit of nine seconds but was fitted with the more durable hard compound.
Norris threatened to make a charge on Piastri, as the Australian was forced to nurse his tyres for 31 gruelling laps around Spa.
But as Piastri kept a cool head, Norris went off the track once and locked his tyres twice into the turn one hairpin, losing around three seconds to his teammate.
Those mistakes proved costly, as 3.415 seconds was Piastri’s winning margin.
“He did a better job in the beginning, and that was it,” Norris said.
“Nothing more I could do after that point. I would love to be up top, but Oscar deserved it today.”
Charles Leclerc placed third for Ferrari, holding off Saturday’s sprint race winner Max Verstappen, driving for Red Bull who have now completed their first race weekend since the dismissal of Christian Horner as team principal.
Piastri’s lead in the drivers’ championship is now 16 points over Norris, with Verstappen a further 65 points adrift of the Briton.
Relive all the action of the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix on the blog below.
Key Events
F1 Belgian Grand Prix race classification
That is all for tonight’s live blog
Australian Oscar Piastri is a grand prix winner again.
The Melbourne-born racer held off a fast-finishing Lando Norris to triumph in the Belgian Grand Prix.
Piastri’s lead in the drivers’ championship is now 16 points over Norris.
That is all for tonight’s overage.
We will return for the next round in Hungary.
I hope you join us then.
Goodnight.
Sing it loud, and sing it proud
Australian Anthem at 2am! So proud!
– Jo
Piastri says the medium compound was the right call, but if he was behind Norris he also would have chosen the hards
Oscar Piastri has spoken about the different tyre strategies between him and Lando Norris.
Piastri said the medium was the correct tyre to put on for him, because it had performed well in Saturday’s sprint race, and it would be a better tyre to restart on if there was a safety car.
However, had he been in second place during the pit stops, he says he would have elected for the hard tyre.
“I had the same plan [as Norris] if I was second – I knew that was a likely decision for him, but the medium was the sensible tyre for me.”
Oscar Piastri speaks after winning the Belgian Grand Prix
Here are the thoughts of Oscar Piastri after his win at the Belgian Grand Prix.
“Lively, very lively,” he says.
“I knew lap one would probably be my best chance of winning the race.
“I got a good exit out of turn one, lifted as little as I dared, and yeah, we had it mostly under control [from there].”
The Australian said he was hoping the race would have a standing start, believing the rolling start would take away his chance of a move on Norris.
“I was a bit disappointed with the rolling start as I thought that would take away the opportunity,” he says.
“But when I was that close through Eau Rouge, I knew I was going to lift a little less than Lando. Proud of my first lap.”
Lando Norris reflects second place
Lando Norris started on pole.
He lost the lead of the race on the first racing lap.
The Briton was catching and, ultimately, had the better tyre.
But he made three mistakes, which cost him a chance of catching his teammate.
“Oscar just did a good job, nothing more to say,” Norris says.
“Committed more through Eau Rouge, got the slipstream and the run.
“That was it, nothing else I could do at that point. Oscar deserved it today.”
Charles Leclerc refelcts on this third place
For obvious reasons, we focused on the battle between Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, but Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen had a race-long battle for third.
“Max was behind the whole race within two seconds, so it was never easy,” he says.
“The first part was tricky, as I knew we didn’t have the downforce.
“But luckily it dried up quickly, and the pace was good. Pretty happy we managed to keep that third place.”
Piastri punches his fist in celebration
OSCAR PIASTRI WINS THE BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
Oscar Piastri has produced a sensational drive to win the Belgian Grand Prix.
He beats Lando Norris by 3.414 seconds.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is third.
“Nicely done. Nicely ****ing done”.
LAPS LAP: Oscar Piastri leads by 5.1 seconds
And the previous two laps have been personal bests from Oscar Piastri.
He has nursed these tyres to perfection.
WHAT A DRIVE.
Lap 43: NORRIS LOCKS HIS WHEELS
Is that the race?
Lando Norris has made a third mistake.
For the second time, he has locked his wheels into the turn 1 hairpin.
PIASTRI LEADS BY FIVE SECONDS!
TWO LAPS TO GO: Piastri leads by 3.1 seconds
Oscar Piastri has been told there could be a few raindrops in the final two laps.
There are two laps left, and the Australian leads by 3.1 seconds.
THREE LAPS TO GO
The gap between Piastri and Norris is down to 3.7 seconds.
Norris will be able to see Piastri ahead.
Piastri will see Norris in his mirrors.
Has Piastri saved enough of his tyres to hold on?
Lap 40: Time is running out, but Norris is still a threat
Oscar Piastri needed to get past a backmarker, Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar.
It may have cost the Australian some time.
Lando Norris will need to pass the Racing Bulls driver as well.
Norris catches Hadjar, but it takes him a few corners to get past.
The gap between the McLaren drivers is down to 4.5 seconds.
FIVE LAPS TO GO
Lap 38: Norris is flying as he chases Piastri
This has been a great drive from both Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris.
Piastri still leads, but the gap is down to 5.5 seconds.
Time is running out, but that deficit is coming down quickly.
Lap 37: Piastri’s lead dips under seven seconds
Oscar’s lead is 6.3 seconds.
How crucial are those two mistakes made by Lando Norris in this race?
Does Norris have enough time to catch Piastri?
Will Norris have tyres in good enough condition to make an overtake?
Has Piastri managed his tyres well enough?
Lap 35: Charles Leclers is third, Max Verstappen is fourth
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 2.2 seconds, in the battle for third.
A further 10 seconds back, Mercedes driver George Russell is fifth.
10 LAPS TO GO
Hi Michael, what’s Piastri’s lead at the moment?
– Martin
Oscar Piastri will be staying out until the end.
Lando Norris had reduced the gap down to 7.1 seconds, but then locks his wheels into the turn 1 hairpin.
The lead is now eight seconds.
Norris has been pushing hard to try and catch his teammate, while Piastri is nursing his tyres.
Lap 33: Piastri’s lead is under eight seconds
Oscar Piastri’s lead has steadily been narrowing.
It was over nine seconds after Lando Norris made his mistake on lap 26.
But Norris now has the deficit at 7.6 seconds.
This is where Norris had the gap, before his mistake, so it has taken him seven laps to get back to this point.
www.abc.net.au (Article Sourced Website)
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