Jul.28 (GMM) Oscar Piastri is now 16 points clear at the top of the world championship after passing pole-sitting McLaren teammate Lando Norris and winning a rain-delayed Belgian GP.
While Max Verstappen and Red Bull slipped further out of the title fight, all eyes are now on what is shaping up to be a head-to-head McLaren showdown for the 2025 crown.
“It is too early to talk about the situation in the championship,” said team CEO Zak Brown. “Max Verstappen should never be written off.”
“But it’s obviously great that we have such a good lead over the competition. This allows us to have our two drivers race against each other. It’s exciting for everyone. The more racing, the better.”
McLaren continues to resist outside pressure to implement clear team orders, letting the title contenders race freely – and at Spa, it was Piastri who struck first.
RTBF’s Gaetan Vigneron described the fight as a “fascinating psychological duel.”
Pole sitter Norris has often been seen as the quicker of the two over a single lap, but Piastri’s calm and consistency – especially in tricky conditions – again made the difference.
“I mean Oscar just did a good job. Nothing more to say,” Norris said. “Committed a bit more through Eau Rouge and had a slipstream and got the run. Nothing to complain of. He did a better job in the beginning and that was it.”
Ralf Schumacher, speaking on Sky Deutschland, was less forgiving: “Lando still had a chance at the end because he was on the hard tyres, and Piastri’s were going off. But he made three mistakes, losing a second each time. That’s exactly the three seconds he needed.”
“A Hamilton or Verstappen wouldn’t have made those mistakes,” Schumacher added. “Oscar was simply better.”
Norris accepted the result: “Oscar deserved it today. Another one-two. A well-deserved result for them and for Oscar too.”
Verstappen, meanwhile, could only manage fourth behind Charles Leclerc – despite Red Bull bringing a small upgrade. More parts are coming in Hungary, but Helmut Marko was frank.
“The conclusion is also that we couldn’t maintain the pace,” he said. “We were never in a position to overtake the Ferrari. McLaren is simply in a class of its own. You can only take your hat off to them again.”
Marko added the RB21’s setup window has improved, but not enough. “We still don’t have the same breadth as McLaren, for example. We were also surprised by Ferrari’s speed.”
Red Bull had gambled on a full-wet setup for Verstappen, expecting heavier rain. But the FIA delayed the start until the track had dried significantly.
“The setup we had in the sprint race would have been better under these conditions,” said Marko. “We have to keep working. We’re bringing some new parts with us to Hungary. We’ll see what happens.”
He also commented on Verstappen’s complaints about engine clipping: “The engine mapping is done by the Japanese,” he noted, referring to Honda.
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