Piastri shines bright, as Red Bull turn the page and Mercedes lose grip

Oscar Piastri continues to prove that his form in the 2025 season is no fluke, cementing his status as a legitimate championship contender in only his second year with McLaren.

The ex-Alpine driver clinched victory at the Belgian Grand Prix, stretching his lead in the drivers’ championship to 16 points ahead of teammate Lando Norris, who followed him home in second at Spa.

The battle between the two McLaren drivers has been fierce and free of team orders, with both pushing each other to the limit. So far, Piastri has landed the more decisive blows, but with such a slim margin separating them, any slip-up could become the defining moment in a season that’s fast shaping into a thriller between teammates driving arguably the best car on the grid.

While McLaren have surged ahead with unrivalled pace, the rest of the paddock continues to chase shadows. And with the Hungarian Grand Prix looming just a few days away, there’s little time for reflection.

Here are three key takeaways from a dramatic weekend in Spa.

Red Bull begins new chapter post-Horner

Spa marked Red Bull Racing’s first outing under new team principal Laurent Mekies following the controversial departure of Christian Horner. After years of dominance under Horner, including last year’s title success amid major internal turmoil, the team now turns the page.

Horner’s exit came after months of off-track distractions involving allegations of misconduct. At the same time, speculation surrounding Max Verstappen’s future added further unease despite the team eventually sealing the championship.

Mekies has made delivering the best possible car for Verstappen his top priority, and the Dutchman responded with renewed focus and pace. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda impressed in qualifying, starting seventh, though he faded to 13th in the main race.

Mercedes faltering under pressure

Mercedes started 2025 with promise, often looking like the second-best outfit behind McLaren. George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli formed a strong pairing early on, but momentum has recently dried up.

Antonelli, in particular, has struggled to maintain the form he showed at the beginning of the campaign and is under increasing pressure to deliver. Russell’s situation is also growing uncertain with ongoing contract talk and rumours linking him to a potential exit.

With Ferrari now applying pressure and overtaking them in the standings, the Brackley-based team need to respond quickly to avoid slipping further behind.

Ferrari adrift despite Leclerc’s form

Charles Leclerc has emerged as Ferrari’s standout performer this season, consistently delivering results and keeping the Scuderia in contention for the podium places. However, a title challenge still feels out of reach, with McLaren out of sight and Red Bull still collecting solid points.

Lewis Hamilton’s form remains erratic. Though he impressed in practice, he failed to reach Q2 in either the sprint or main qualifying sessions. Since switching to Ferrari, the seven-time champion has struggled to adapt, and Leclerc has regularly had the measure of him on race day.

Still, Hamilton showed resilience at Spa, recovering from a pit lane start to finish seventh and pick up valuable points. It was a bright spot in what has been a challenging campaign.

Ferrari now leads Mercedes by 28 points and they will take encouragement from the Belgian weekend as they look to Hungary hoping for further gains.