Formula 1 in Belgium
Triumph to rain chaos: McLaren provides Verstappen
Updated on July 27, 2025 – 6:12 p.m.Reading time: 2 min.
At the traditional course in Spa, the McLaren dominate the race – the world champion desperately behind it. Before the Grand Prix, chaos breaks out for a short time.
The next demonstration of McLaren-and the next bitter demonstration for world champion Max Verstappen: Oscar Piatri has won the Grand Prix of Belgium in front of his McLaren teammate Lando Norris and expanded its lead in the World Cup ranking. Third in the race on the traditional course in Spa, Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), world champion Max Verstappen in the Red Bull had to watch again without a chance, was fifth behind his rivals.
The start of the race had to be postponed for over an hour due to heavy rain (read more about this here).
Piatri (266 points) now leads with 16 points ahead of Norris in the driver’s ranking, defending champion Verstappen is third with 185 points.
Lewis Hamilton in Ferrari achieved a strong catch -up: After the unsuccessful race weekend, the seven -time world champion drove up to 7th place from 18th. The only German in the driver field, Sauber-Pilot Nico Hülkenberg, ended the race in twelve. Hülkenberg was therefore unable to repeat his violent podium from Silverstone three weeks later.
A strong rain shower a good half an hour before the planned start at 3 p.m. ensured that it could not be started normally. A first attempt behind the safety car failed on the wet slopes mainly because of the poor visibility, the starting procedure was canceled. Even before the first round of the 13th World Cup run of the year was shot, the drivers had to go back to the pit lane and got out of their cars again.
“It’s a bit silly. I mean, you should just drive a few laps, my goodness,” said Verstappen (read more about this here).
It didn’t come like that, but only after more than an hour break did it go out again in significantly better conditions. Four rounds were made behind the safety car of the German driver Bernd Mayländer before the race was finally released at 4:32 p.m. with more than 90-minute delays. And immediately Polesetter Norris lost first place to Piatri. The Australian quickly sucked up cleverly and passed without effort.
Then the spectators saw how the view improved in the sunshine. “It dries off quickly,” said record world champion Lewis Hamilton. The Ferrari superstar won the Grand Prix in the Mercedes last year, but now had to start from the pit lane. After a completely messed up qualification and an engine change, the 40-year-old worked through the field forward and also overtook Hülkenberg.
Nothing changed at the top even after the first tire change: Piatri led confidently in front of Norris, followed by a greater distance Leclerc, where Verstappen did not come by.
Without a real racing action, the top group spilled round by round. Norris only moved closer to Piatri. The Australian wanted to avoid another pit stop by a beautiful trip – and was successful with this tactic.