Oscar Piastri started second, finished first, and left Spa-Francorchamps with 25 points while his teammate Lando Norris — who had taken pole — settled for 18. Round 13 of the 2025 season belonged to McLaren, and specifically to the driver who has made a habit of outrunning his grid position when the race distance does the sorting.
McLaren's One-Two and What It Means
Lando Norris had done everything right through qualifying to secure pole at Spa. Oscar Piastri lined up alongside him in P2. By the time the chequered flag fell, the order between them had reversed and McLaren had locked out the top two positions — a result that underscores just how far ahead the Woking operation has been operating in 2025. Two cars, both on the front row, both in the points haul that matters. The internal dynamic between them is one of the more fascinating threads running through this season: Norris on pole, Piastri with the win. No team orders are visible in the results. The car won; the question is which driver capitalised.
Leclerc Holds Firm, Verstappen Left Empty-Handed
Charles Leclerc converted P3 on the grid into P3 at the flag for Ferrari, which is the kind of clean race Ferrari needed after rounds where strategy or reliability eroded what the car deserved. Twelve points behind him, Max Verstappen crossed in fourth from fourth on the grid — a race that began and ended in the same position for the reigning champion. Red Bull took 12 points from Belgium; McLaren took 43. At a circuit that rewards aerodynamic efficiency and power unit performance through Eau Rouge and down the Kemmel Straight, that gap will have consequences when the constructors' standings are updated.
Hamilton's Recovery From the Back
The result that requires a second look sits at P7: Lewis Hamilton started from P18 and finished seventh for Ferrari, collecting 6 points from a race he had no business being near the points in based on where he lined up. Starting from 18th at a circuit as unforgiving of slow lap traffic as Spa is not a straightforward task; arriving in the top ten from that grid slot requires a sequence of things to go right. The fact sheet doesn't tell us what happened — whether it was a penalty for someone else, a safety car that bunched the field, or sheer racecraft — but the outcome is clear. Six points from P18. Hamilton's day was not lost.
The Midfield Points: Albon, Lawson, Bortoleto, Gasly
Alexander Albon produced what has become a familiar result for Williams in 2025: a points finish from a competitive grid position. He started fifth and finished sixth — two positions back, but still 8 points banked. Liam Lawson brought RB F1 Team home in eighth from P9 on the grid. Gabriel Bortoleto scored two points for Sauber from tenth on the grid, a result that keeps the Swiss-entered team in the conversation further down the constructors' table. Pierre Gasly rounded out the points in tenth for Alpine F1 Team, having started thirteenth — three places gained and one championship point to show for it.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli set the fastest lap, a data point worth noting given that Antonelli did not finish in the top ten — suggesting a different strategic approach from Mercedes late in the race, or a flying lap on a fresh set that the race situation allowed.
Reading Belgium in the Championship Context
A McLaren one-two at Spa is not a surprise — it is a confirmation. The MCL39 has shown the kind of consistent pace that builds constructors' championships race by race rather than in single dramatic statements. Piastri's win from P2, Norris's second from pole: 43 points in one afternoon. Verstappen's 12 points from P4 represents exactly the kind of weekend Red Bull cannot afford to repeat if the title fight is to remain competitive through the second half of the season.
For the full 2025 standings after Belgium, the 2025 season page has the updated numbers. To put Piastri and Norris head-to-head across the season so far, the compare tool breaks down where the gap between them has opened and closed.