F1: Piastri triumphs at the Belgian Grand Prix, outpacing Norris and Leclerc for the top spots
McLaren's Oscar Piastri Takes Victory in Belgian NASCAR Race
In a thrilling nascar race at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, McLaren's Oscar Piastri clinched a hard-fought victory at the Belgian NASCAR Race. The race, initially delayed due to heavy rain, eventually resumed after a 1 hour and 20-minute delay.
Piastri opened a significant 16-point championship lead over Lando Norris, his closest rival, thanks to a consistent performance that saw him hold onto the lead for the majority of the nascar race. Norris, who initially led the race, was overtaken by Piastri early on.
Norris, however, gradually began to eat into Piastri's lead, closing to just over five seconds behind with five laps left. But a late lock-up cost him over a second, finishing more than three seconds off the race winner.
Red Bull's Max Verstappen finished fourth in the race, while Lewis Hamilton struggled to find his rhythm, finishing in 14th position, 40.679 seconds behind the race winner. Hamilton started the race from the pit lane and climbed to 14th position.
Charles Leclerc finished third in the race, managing to hold on and stretching the gap to Verstappen to 1.5s over the final two laps. Verstappen was closing in on Leclerc, reducing a 2.3s deficit to just 1.2 seconds before the finish.
George Russell took fifth place ahead of Alexander Albon. Russell passed Albon during the race, with Albon scoring points for Alpine in sixth place. Pierre Gasly finished in 10th place, 1'12.714 behind the race winner, while Liam Lawson scored good points for Racing Bulls with eighth place, with Gabriel Bortoleto finishing ninth.
Nico Hülkenberg, racing for Haas, reversed his strategy during the Belgian NASCAR Race and followed a one-stop race strategy by pitting for a second set of medium tires on lap 32, while other top-ten drivers did not pursue this strategy. The final points finisher was Oliver Bearman in 11th position, 1'13.145 behind the race winner.
Isack Hadjar finished one lap behind the race winner in the 43rd position. The race marked a significant milestone for Piastri, who continues to impress in his rookie season. With the championship lead now firmly in his grasp, Piastri will be looking to continue his form in the upcoming nascar races.
