Stavelot, July 27 (IANS) Oscar Piastri secured a crucial victory at the Belgian Grand Prix, holding off McLaren teammate and championship rival Lando Norris in a dramatic wet-to-dry race at Spa-Francorchamps. The win extends Piastri’s lead in the Drivers’ Championship to 16 points, marking a pivotal moment in the title fight.

Rain delayed the 44-lap race by nearly 80 minutes, but once the action began on Lap 5, Piastri wasted no time making his move. Starting alongside Norris, who was on pole, the Australian got a superior launch through Eau Rouge and completed a clean pass along the Kemmel Straight before the Les Combes braking zone. That move proved decisive, as Piastri established and maintained a slender lead of around one second in the opening stages.

With the track drying rapidly, strategic decisions came into play. Piastri was the first to pit, switching to medium tyres on Lap 12. Norris stayed out for an extra lap and opted for hard tyres, rejoining nine seconds behind after his stop. Though Norris closed the gap in the final stint, Piastri’s tyre management was exceptional. The margin narrowed to 3.1 seconds with two laps remaining, but a small error from Norris at La Source extended the gap to 3.4 seconds at the flag.

Behind the McLaren duo, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished a distant third, 20 seconds adrift, but fended off pressure from Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver, winner of Saturday’s Sprint, finished just 1.5 seconds behind Leclerc after a quiet but persistent chase.

Hamilton climbed 11 places in his Ferrari after a pit lane start and was one of the first to switch from the intermediate tyres at the crossover point to eventually finish seventh.

Piastri’s Spa triumph marks his third win of the season and sends a strong message in the championship battle. With a 16-point advantage and momentum on his side, the Australian now leads a McLaren-dominated title race heading into the summer break.

–IANS

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