Oscar Piastri Wins Belgian Grand Prix In McLaren One-Two Podium Finish

 

Oscar Piastri is the winner of the Belgian Grand Prix in a one-two podium finish for McLaren and his sixth victory of the season. Lewis Hamilton made his presence felt, making the most improvement to finish in the top 10. 

Lando Norris was the pole-setter, and it did not take long before he lost the position to Piastri. The Australian driver gained DRS and overtook Norris at Turn 5 of Lap 1. Hence, Piastri led the rest of the laps for his maiden Belgian Grand Prix victory. 

Even though the weather conditions were unfavourable, Piastri managed the situation right while his teammate, in the latter laps, almost swerved off the track, costing him time as Piastri raced on to cross the finish line. Nevertheless, the McLaren duo were dominant to the chequered flag. 

It was a quiet final for Max Verstappen, who put up a strong challenge against his McLaren rivals in practice before winning the Sprint race. In the end, he finished in fourth behind Charles Leclerc, who maintained his position from the start. 

Hamilton was impressive at the Spa. He improved from P16 to finish in P7. Ahead of the race, he had promised a surprise, but he was skeptical and called the weekend a "forgettable" one. In the end, the seven-time F1 champion delivered on his promise to make the top 10. He was penalised for breaking the track limit rules in Q1 of the qualifying session and finished in P16. 

Piastri maintains his F1 Championship leadership by extending the gap between him and Norris by 16 points. Red Bull's Verstappen remains in third with 185 points and Mercedes' George Russell in fourth with 157 points.