Oscar Piastri secured a dramatic victory at the 2025 Belgian Grand Prix thanks to a clever dummy move that outwitted teammate Lando Norris early in the race, according to Sky F1 analyst Anthony Davidson. The race at Spa-Francorchamps on Sunday was delayed by rain, but Piastri’s smart driving extended his championship lead to 16 points.
How Piastri’s Tactical Move Gave Him the Edge at the Start
Though Lando Norris started from pole position after a competitive qualifying session on Saturday, it was Piastri who gained the advantage at the race‘s start. As the safety car peeled away for the rolling restart, Norris applied throttle too soon before braking for the Bus Stop chicane, allowing Piastri to close the gap quickly. The critical moment, however, came at La Source corner.
Davidson detailed Piastri’s deceptive maneuver under braking: by moving to the right, Piastri forced Norris to defend the inside line. This pressured Norris onto a compromised path, causing him to lose momentum out of the corner. Piastri took advantage with a cleaner exit.
Using the slipstream effect, Piastri carried more speed through Eau Rouge and easily passed Norris on the run toward the next chicane. Davidson emphasized the intelligence behind the move:
“This is where, as a driver, you have to have your wits about you, … You are living by your senses. It’s natural driving, coming into it. Piastri, on the attack, trying to upset the rival into the first corner, goes to the inside. Lando is looking into the mirror at where his teammate is. He can see Piastri on the inside. This is what Piastri wants Lando to do – to turn in early. As Lando turns in early, on a slightly compromised line, Piastri turns left and crosses the line as Lando moves in. In doing so, he gives himself a much better exit. Lando has a massive oversteer from his compromised line which he was, in a way, tricked into by Piastri’s dummy move to the inside. Piastri set himself up nice and clean on the exit. Now the next phase comes in: bravery. You’ve never been into this corner at these speeds on these tyres. It is a gamble – how fast do you go? Oscar goes ‘however fast you’re going, I will go quicker’. He had an advantage in the slipstream. He has momentum not just from Turn 1, but through Eau Rouge, from the extra bravery and because he’s got someone in front to judge the speed. It is harder when you are the car in front. But at Turn 1? I feel that Lando was tricked into it. It wasn’t Oscar’s intention to turn down the inside, he planned it very well, brilliant stuff. In a way, it gave him a huge part of the race victory.”
—Anthony Davidson, Sky F1 Analyst
Pitstop Strategy and Errors Affect Norris’ Chase for the Win
Piastri’s early pass not only gave him critical track position but also allowed McLaren to pit him first when the track conditions improved enough to switch to slick tyres. Norris, forced to stay out an extra lap on worn intermediate tyres, lost valuable time before his own pitstop.
Davidson pointed out the crucial disadvantage Norris faced:
“It is advantage Piastri, as the car in front, he gets to pit first, … Lando was a lap later to pit. His intermediate tyres are completely destroyed, he’s wishing he could have pitted when his teammate did. It was slow [to change the left-front tyre at the pitstop]. It doesn’t go on at the right angle. Another second-and-a-bit wasted.”
—Anthony Davidson, Sky F1 Analyst
By the time Norris reentered the track, he was about seven seconds behind Piastri, having been only narrowly behind before the pit cycle. McLaren opted to split their strategy, fitting Piastri with medium tyres and Norris with fresh hard tyres.
Although Norris’ tyre choice gave him better grip late in the race, he struggled to close the gap, ultimately finishing over three seconds behind the championship leader. Davidson acknowledged Norris’ efforts but noted the toll the pressure took on his performance:
“For Lando the decision to go onto hard tyres was brilliant, … But because he was fighting so hard he starts to make mistakes in his quest to drive flat-out like a quali lap. Into Turn 1, it cost him big time. It was five tenths to a second, at Turn 1. I excuse those mistakes at the end because he was up against it.”
—Anthony Davidson, Sky F1 Analyst
The Larger Impact on the 2025 F1 Season Championship Battle
Oscar Piastri’s clever dummy move and race management at Spa-Francorchamps under challenging wet conditions boosted his standing significantly in the 2025 championship battle. Securing his sixth win of the season, Piastri now holds a 16-point lead over Norris, intensifying the rivalry within the McLaren team and the title fight overall.
The strategic edge gained from a perfect start and pitstop timing highlights the fine margins in Formula 1, where mental games and split-second decisions shape the outcome. Piastri’s increasing momentum and composure on a demanding track place him as the prime contender moving forward, while Norris will need to regroup and find ways to respond to keep his championship hopes alive.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Is Oscar Piastri a nice person?
A. This might be the first time Oscar Piastri has appeared upset after a race. He’s usually a really nice and calm person.
His reaction could be called “sulky” in some places. I can understand why he felt that way.
