Piastri Soars at Spa

Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium — Oscar Piastri claimed a commanding victory at the rain-hit Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, fending off teammate Lando Norris to extend his lead in the Formula 1 championship standings.

The race at the legendary Spa circuit was delayed by 80 minutes due to heavy rain, forcing drivers to follow the safety car for four laps before a rolling start was finally given.

Starting second on the grid, Piastri wasted no time as he overtook pole-sitter Norris early on. Norris reported issues with his battery system, allowing Piastri to pull ahead and take control of the race.

The Australian then delivered a composed drive to bring home McLaren’s sixth 1-2 finish of the season. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc rounded out the podium in third.

“I knew lap one was going to be my best chance of winning the race,” Piastri said. “The rest of the race we managed really well.”

Norris kept his response brief: “Oscar did a good job, nothing more to say.”

Max Verstappen, who won Saturday’s sprint race, finished fourth in what marked Laurent Mekies’ first full race weekend as Red Bull team principal. Mekies took over the role following the recent departure of Christian Horner.

With this win, Piastri now holds a 16-point lead over Norris in the drivers’ standings.