Race Summary at Spa-Francorchamps
Amidst a weekend of sunny spells and heavy rain at Spa-Francorchamps, Oscar Piastri emerged victorious, further extending his points lead over his McLaren teammate Lando Norris. How did our Power Rankings turn out for this event? Check out the scores and leaderboard below.
Piastri Dominates the Grand Prix
After narrowly missing out on a win during the Sprint from pole position, Piastri asserted his dominance in the Grand Prix, quickly taking the lead from teammate Norris on the first lap. He maintained a significant gap of 9.1 seconds during the dry tyre pit stop, ultimately achieving his sixth win of the season and increasing his championship lead to 16 points, impressing our analysts.
Albon’s Stellar Performance
A remarkable final qualifying lap pushed Albon’s Williams to fifth place for the Grand Prix, recovering from a challenging Sprint where he didn’t make the top 10 due to a power unit issue. While he lost a position to Russell early on, Albon found his rhythm, ultimately finishing sixth by successfully keeping Hamilton at bay thanks to superior straight-line speed.
Leclerc’s Strong Showing
Leclerc finished best of the rest on Sunday after qualifying third and held his position during pit stops, expertly fending off Verstappen even as his intermediate tyres wore out. Although he couldn’t extend his lead over the Dutchman significantly, his performance showed that Ferrari’s new suspension setup is a promising development for the team.
Verstappen’s Challenges
Verstappen’s gamble on a low-downforce configuration for the Saturday Sprint paid off with a second-place grid start and a lead taken from poleman Piastri early on. However, during the Grand Prix, he struggled with a higher downforce setup and finished fourth, unable to overtake Leclerc’s Ferrari despite his best attempts.
Midfield Battles and Points Finish
Despite a lack of straight-line speed, a determined performance saw the Alpine driver reach Q2 before finishing P10 after starting from 13th. He skillfully held off Tsunoda’s Red Bull and Haas’s Bearman throughout the race, ultimately securing a point when Hulkenberg had to pit again.
Notable Misses in the Top Ten
MISSING OUT
Russell, Ocon, and Hadjar nearly made it into this week’s top 10. Russell finished fifth in a solitary race, while Ocon and Hadjar shone in the Sprint, with Hadjar finishing P8. However, a late pit stop and car troubles pushed him to the back in the Grand Prix, demonstrating the unpredictability of racing.
