Oscar Piastri ended McLaren teammate Lando Norris’s recent winning streak with a commanding wet-weather victory at the Belgian Grand Prix, regaining momentum in the 2025 F1 championship battle.
Here’s a breakdown of the biggest winners and losers from the sprint weekend at Spa-Francorchamps:
Winner – Oscar Piastri
Frustrated by narrowly missing pole position, Piastri bounced back to claim his sixth win of the season. After losing to Norris in the previous two races, Piastri made a decisive move on lap 5 in rainy conditions, overtaking Norris on the Kemmel Straight despite challenging spray conditions. From there, he controlled the race and secured a crucial victory, extending his championship lead to 16 points.
Loser – Some Antonelli
The young driver Antonelli had a tough weekend, spinning out in SQ1 and finishing 15th in the sprint race. He also faced an early exit in the main qualifying, visibly upset by his struggles. His lack of confidence in the Mercedes car was evident as he could only manage 16th in the Grand Prix.
Winner – Charles Leclerc
Leclerc impressed in his upgraded Ferrari, earning his fifth podium finish of 2025. After a strong qualifying performance—narrowly missing pole by 0.003 seconds—he held off Max Verstappen during the 44-lap race to finish third, delivering Ferrari’s best result yet this season.
Loser – Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton’s weekend was disappointing, marked by early exits in qualifying and penalties for track limit violations. Despite showing resilience with a strong recovery on race day, his struggles throughout the weekend overshadowed his performance, a stark contrast to Leclerc’s success.
Winners – Max Verstappen and Red Bull
Verstappen kicked off the new Christian Horner era at Red Bull perfectly, winning the Belgian sprint race and showcasing strong pace despite finishing behind Leclerc in the main event. The team’s upgrade package improved car performance and balance, and Yuki Tsunoda showed signs of progress under new leadership, even though he missed out on points.
Loser – Lando Norris
Norris came close to matching Piastri’s dominance but made costly mistakes that cost him vital time and points, missing a chance for a third consecutive win that could have shifted the title race.
Winner – Alex Albon
Albon extracted maximum performance from his upgraded Williams, starting fifth on the grid and finishing sixth after a strong drive that included fending off pressure from Hamilton.
Loser – Carlos Sainz
Sainz had a starkly contrasting weekend; following a solid sixth-place sprint finish, he struggled in the main race, qualifying 15th and ending up 18th.
Winner – Gabriel Boltreto
Boltreto shone for Sauber, securing his second points finish of the season and delivering an impressive ninth-place in the Grand Prix, following his teammate Nico Hulkenberg’s recent podium.
Loser – Franco Corpent
Corpent had a frustrating weekend, consistently finishing in the bottom five during qualifying and the races, ending up 19th in the Grand Prix, while his teammate scored points once again.
Fan Take:
This weekend at Spa highlights how momentum can quickly shift in F1, with Piastri reclaiming the upper hand in the title fight. Racing fans should be excited as the championship battle intensifies, promising more thrilling on-track action and strategic battles in the races ahead.
