Another Double for The Win!

McLaren have now set the tone for the remainder of the season.

For more than 80 minutes, the Belgian Grand Prix was a waiting game. Rain lashed down on the track, the start was postponed, and Formula 1’s best drivers sat idle — engines silent, tyres untouched, nerves building…with only the fans energy echoing throughout the circuit. And then, when the lights finally went out at Spa-Francorchamps, one driver was ready from the first turn.

Oscar Piastri didn’t just win a Grand Prix. He led a commanding McLaren one-two, overtook his teammate in damp conditions, managed the race to perfection, and restored breathing room in a championship fight that had begun to close in.

The 24-year-old Australian is now leading both on the track and inside a resurgent McLaren team — one that looks more complete than it has in over a decade.

The defining moment of the race came quickly. After three slow laps behind the Safety Car and a rolling start, Piastri positioned himself just behind Lando Norris, who had qualified ahead. As they crested the hill toward Les Combes, Piastri made his move — a clean, confident overtake into the lead.

“I got a good exit out of Turn 1,” he said after the race. “Once I saw how close I was, I knew I had to commit.”

That early move proved crucial. Spa is known for chaos — safety cars, pit stops, variable weather — but Piastri led from that point on, with only tyre strategy threatening to shake things up. As the track dried, both McLarens pitted for slicks. Norris opted for the harder compound, hoping to apply pressure later in the race. Piastri went with mediums, trusting his ability to manage them across the remaining laps.

That gamble paid off. Norris closed the gap at times but never got close enough to strike. The final margin — 3.41 seconds — reflected both drivers’ skill, but also McLaren’s control of the race.

“I thought we might have a shot near the end,” Norris said. “But Oscar didn’t put a wheel wrong.”

The result is McLaren’s second one-two of the season, but perhaps its most complete. With Ferrari and Red Bull struggling to match pace in changeable conditions, the orange cars were in a class of their own — and now sit well ahead in the championship.

Now, McLaren leads the Constructors’ standings with 516 points, more than double second-place Ferrari’s total. Piastri’s win puts him on 266 points, extending his lead over Norris (250) in the Drivers’ Championship. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who finished fourth, is now a distant third on 185.

McLaren’s recent success reflects a focused rebuild under CEO Zak Brown and team principal Andrea Stella, supported by Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat. Strategic investment in infrastructure, personnel, and driver development is now delivering clear results.

“This is what’s possible when everyone is aligned — ownership, drivers, engineering,” Stella said. “It’s not the end of the journey, but it’s an important marker.”

Behind McLaren, the usual contenders were left playing catch-up. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc secured third after holding off Verstappen for much of the race — a solid result following upgrades to the car’s rear suspension.

Leclerc admitted McLaren were out of reach on Sunday. “We couldn’t match their pace, but we did the best with what we had,” he said.

Verstappen, meanwhile, was left frustrated. After winning Saturday’s Sprint with a low-drag setup, Red Bull changed direction for the main race — adding downforce in anticipation of prolonged rain. When the track dried faster than expected, Verstappen couldn’t stay close.

“We made the wrong choice,” he said. “It happens. But clearly, we’re not where we need to be right now.”

Lewis Hamilton endured a miserable weekend up to Sunday’s race. Knocked out early in both qualifying sessions and starting the Grand Prix from the pit lane, the former world champion had little to lose. But Ferrari made a bold early call to switch him to slick tyres, triggering a strong undercut and a climb into the points.

He eventually finished seventh and was named Driver of the Day — not the result he wants, but a small step in a season that’s been short on highlights.

“We recovered well,” Hamilton said. “Still a lot to work on, but the team gave me a chance today and I took it.”

As for Mercedes, the weekend offered little to celebrate. George Russell finished fifth but called the result “flattering,” admitting that the team’s latest upgrades have made the car harder to drive.

“We’ve taken a step back,” he said. “It’s not where we want to be, and we’re still trying to understand why.”

Rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli had another tough outing, qualifying 18th and finishing 16th. Despite a new front wing that gave him “more confidence,” the young Italian remains in a development phase — one that’s growing more public with each passing weekend.

McLaren have now set the tone for the remainder of the season.

With two drivers at the top of the standings, a well-balanced car, and full control of the Constructors’ Championship, the team heads into Hungary with clear momentum. The pressure, of course, now shifts to managing a title fight between teammates — one that could define McLaren’s future as much as its present.

For now, though, there’s confidence across the board.

“It was a great day for the team,” Piastri said. “We’ve worked hard for this — and we’re not done yet.”

The Hungarian Grand Prix is next on August 4^th.