July 27, (THEWILL) — Oscar Piastri strengthened his position at the top of the Formula 1 drivers’ standings with a commanding victory at a rain-affected Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday. The McLaren driver seized the lead from teammate Lando Norris with a bold overtake on Lap 5 and managed tyre degradation expertly to finish 3.8 seconds clear. The result marked McLaren’s third 1-2 finish of the season, extending their constructors’ championship lead to 248 points. Charles Leclerc completed the podium for Ferrari, holding off Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in fourth.
The race was delayed by over an hour due to heavy rain, echoing concerns from the 2021 event, which was abandoned after two laps behind the safety car. Once underway, Lewis Hamilton delivered a standout performance, climbing from the pit lane to seventh place. Ferrari’s decision to fit Hamilton’s car with a high-downforce setup paid off early, but he struggled for pace on dry tyres later, unable to pass Alex Albon’s Williams. Hamilton’s recovery showed Ferrari’s progress with their updated suspension, though a top-five finish was likely lost in qualifying.
McLaren’s strategic divergence between Piastri and Norris proved decisive. Piastri switched to medium tyres early, while Norris opted for hards, aiming for a one-stop strategy. Though Norris closed the gap in the final laps, a late lock-up at La Source ended his charge. Piastri admitted the medium compound was “not ideal” for the closing stages but credited his aggressive early move for securing the win. The victory extends his championship lead over Norris to 16 points.
Leclerc’s podium provided a morale boost for Ferrari after recent struggles. The Monegasque driver qualified just 0.003 seconds ahead of Verstappen and fended off the Red Bull throughout the race. Despite finishing 20 seconds behind Piastri, Leclerc’s performance reinforced Ferrari’s grip on second in the constructors’ standings, now 28 points clear of Mercedes. Verstappen, meanwhile, rued Red Bull’s lack of pace, calling the car “a handful” in mixed conditions.
Race officials faced criticism for the lengthy red flag period but were vindicated as the full 44-lap race was completed safely. Drivers had reported dangerously poor visibility during initial laps behind the safety car, prompting the delay. Once the track dried, the race delivered thrilling battles, though F1’s restart procedures may be reviewed to avoid similar delays in future wet-weather events.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
