Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images through Getty Images
Piastri turned in a flawless race to win by a snug 3.41 seconds regardless of Norris having a tyre benefit within the closing phases.
The win, the sixth of his season and eighth of his profession, prolonged Piastri’s title result in 16 factors and denied Norris, who had began from pole, a 3rd straight win.
“Let’s go!” Piastri stated over his radio post-race. “Nicely completed. Nicely f—– completed.”
Charles Leclerc took a morale-boosting podium for Ferrari forward of reigning champion Max Verstappen, albeit in a distant battle behind the dominant McLaren pair.
Heavy rain earlier than the beginning delayed the race by 90 minutes however the type of wet-weather basic so usually produced in comparable circumstances in Belgium by no means materialised, with the monitor prepared for dry tyres by the twelfth lap.
One formation lap had taken place forward of the scheduled begin at 3 p.m. native time, however driver suggestions meant the FIA deemed the circumstances undriveable.
An extended and irritating wait adopted earlier than the racing bought going simply earlier than 4:30 p.m. native time.
After a number of laps behind the protection automotive, Norris had led the pack into Turn 1 after a rolling begin, however his teammate quickly proved why pole place is commonly seen as a poisoned chalice at Spa-Francorchamps.
Piastri stalked Norris by way of Turn 1 after which used the long term up by way of the well-known Eau Rouge nook to slingshot himself forward on the Kemmel Straight.
It was an actual reversal to what had occurred to Piastri originally of Saturday’s dash race, when he began on pole however misplaced the result in Max Verstappen on the opening lap.
Verstappen was the final particular person to win the Belgian Grand Prix from pole, doing so in 2021, when simply two laps had been accomplished behind the protection automotive earlier than the rain was known as off because of heavy rain.
Norris had appeared to present himself an opportunity to make one thing occur on the finish, choosing the extra sturdy exhausting compound when it got here time to change to dry tires — Piastri had gone onto the medium.
But a grandstand end by no means materialised, with Piastri bringing his automotive house for a snug win, regardless that Norris had at one level began slashing away on the lead out within the entrance.
McLaren had been on a unique planet by way of tempo, with Leclerc ending 20 seconds behind in third place.
Verstappen took fourth, forward of Mercedes driver George Russell.
After qualifying an excellent fifth on Saturday, Alex Albon claimed sixth place for Williams, his greatest consequence since Imola.
Lewis Hamilton had reduce a dejected determine after being eradicated from Q1 on Saturday, however he supplied leisure early within the contest from the again finish of the grid.
The seven-time world champion used the mix of his ability within the moist and his faster automotive to carve by way of the decrease order early on with a sequence of superbly executed strikes.
Hamilton then was the primary to change from the intermediate moist tyre to dries on Lap 12, permitting him to emerge seventh as soon as everybody else had completed the identical, though he couldn’t get previous Albon late on.
Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson took an excellent eighth forward of Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto, who had been allowed previous teammate Nico Hulkenberg when faster at a vital a part of the race.
After failing to begin Saturday’s dash from a promising place Pierre Gasly snatched some extent for Alpine.
Yuki Tsunoda’s greatest qualifying efficiency for Red Bull got here to nothing, with the Japanese driver staying out a lap too late because the monitor switched from moist to dry and dropping down the order because of this.
Formula 1 will race subsequent week at Budapest’s Hungarian Grand Prix, the ultimate occasion earlier than a four-week summer season break.
