Piastri tames Spa in slippery scrap to reclaim title lead from Norris

Oscar Piastri soaked up pressure and spray at the storied Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium on Sunday, July 28 (9:00 PM Philippine time), pulling off a bold early pass on Lando Norris and nursing his tyres to the finish for a statement fourth win of the season.

Rain delayed the start and forced the pack to tiptoe behind the Safety Car, compressing strategies and dialing up the early-race tension.

Norris led from lights out, but one wobble on lap four was all the McLaren ace needed to launch past on the Kemmel Straight with DRS in full swing.

From there, it became a game of margins — Piastri, on used mediums holding station; Norris, hunting on hards, with clean air and quiet fury.

By lap 43, the Briton had clawed the gap under three seconds, prompting Piastri to radio in for a live delta check as rain loomed once more.

The showdown never came.

Norris locked up into La Source, scrubbing his front tyres and his chances at a final-lap lunge.

“It’s going to be close,” Jolyon Palmer warned in commentary, “but if Piastri can hold this rhythm, he’s got it.”

On worn tyres and against the clock, the Melbourne tactician squeezed out personal bests in the final laps, crossing the line 5.3s ahead in a composed masterclass.

Behind them, Charles Leclerc clung to third with Max Verstappen filling his mirrors but never quite launching, both crossing the line where they started.

George Russell delivered P5 with minimal drama, as Alex Albon soaked up relentless pressure from Lewis Hamilton to retain sixth in a drag to the flag.

Hamilton, starting from the pit lane after a setup shift, recovered to seventh in a solid Ferrari salvage job.

Liam Lawson, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Pierre Gasly rounded out the top ten, each making hay as midfield chaos and tyre gambles unfolded.

“Leave me alone please,” Leclerc snapped over the radio in defence of P3, a moment capturing both his fatigue and his fight.

The result handed Piastri a 16-point buffer in the standings heading into the break, McLaren momentum firmly back in his hands.