Rain, Shake-ups, and Victory at Spa – Piastri Strengthens His Championship Lead!

This weekend marked the start of the second half of the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship season, with racing action unfolding at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps Circuit, nestled in the foothills of the Ardennes Mountains. As always, the Belgian Grand Prix weekend was heavily influenced by unpredictable weather conditions.

One of the biggest headlines ahead of the race weekend came from the paddock: Christian Horner, long-time Team Principal of Red Bull Racing, was dismissed from his role. He was swiftly replaced by Laurent Mekies, former head of AlphaTauri. The sudden leadership shake-up further fueled rumors about Max Verstappen’s possible departure from the team.

The weekend began under sunny skies, but with the sprint race format offering only one free practice session, teams didn’t have the opportunity to fully test their upgrades. Oscar Piastri of McLaren impressed everyone from the start, topping both free practice and the sprint shootout sessions.

However, in the sprint race, it was Max Verstappen who once again asserted his dominance, overtaking Piastri shortly after the start to secure his 12th career sprint win. Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc rounded out the top three. Ferrari’s lackluster race pace challenged Leclerc’s podium defense, but he managed to hold his ground.

Lando Norris shone bright in Saturday’s qualifying by claiming pole position—his fourth of the season and 13th of his career. With teammate Oscar Piastri lining up second, McLaren locked out the front row for the third time in 2025, highlighting their continued dominance in qualifying.

Sunday brought heavy rain, leading to the Formula 3 race being cancelled and the Formula 2 race running on a soaked track. The Formula 1 Grand Prix itself began behind the Safety Car, but was soon red-flagged due to excessive standing water. After a delay of approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes, the track conditions improved enough for a restart.

The race-defining overtake came at the end of the Kemmel Straight, where Oscar Piastri passed teammate Lando Norris to take the lead. Cars set up for wet conditions began to struggle as the track dried, and with DRS unavailable for much of the race, overtaking opportunities became even more limited.

Lewis Hamilton made gains by switching to slick tyres at the right moment, though he faced challenges maintaining position in the closing laps. Norris repeatedly closed in on Piastri but was unable to complete a clean pass, often slipping up at critical moments.

Ultimately, Oscar Piastri secured his sixth win of the season and the eighth of his career, extending his lead in the championship. Norris settled for second, while Leclerc claimed his fifth podium of the year. Verstappen finished fourth, followed by George Russell in fifth.

With this result, Piastri now leads the Drivers' Championship with 266 points, holding a 16-point advantage over Norris. Verstappen sits third with 185 points. In the Constructors' standings, McLaren continues to lead with 516 points, while Ferrari extends its lead over Mercedes, climbing to 248 points. 

The championship continues next weekend with the Hungarian Grand Prix, before heading into the summer break.