Piastri beats Norris to win Formula 1's rain-delayed Belgian Grand Prix

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SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium (AP) — Oscar Piastri had to wait, and wait some more. Then he made his move.

Piastri beat his McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris to win Formula 1's Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday after heavy rain delayed the start.

Piastri powered past his teammate and title rival Norris on the first racing lap after the safety car pulled into the pits on lap four, following a delay to the start of more than an hour.

“I knew I was going to try and lift (off the accelerator) a little bit less than Lando did and try to make it stick,” said Piastri, admitting his car felt “lively” as he took on the extra risk through the steeply uphill Eau Rouge corner.

Norris suggested over the radio he was having issues with the battery providing his electric power. McLaren chief executive Zak Brown told broadcaster Sky Sports that there was “a small battery issue which we’ve got to look at.”

Norris reduced Piastri's lead toward the end of the race but the Australian held on with worn tires and Norris couldn't get close enough to challenge.

Charles Leclerc was third for Ferrari after he kept Red Bull's Max Verstappen behind him all race.

Piastri extended his championship lead over Norris from nine points to 16 and denied his British teammate a third Grand Prix win in a row.

It was the second straight day that Piastri held off Norris after taking second place ahead of his teammate in Saturday’s sprint, won by Max Verstappen.

Except for the weather, Piastri's overtake of Norris was almost a copy of Verstappen's opening-lap pass on the Australian from second on the grid in the sprint.

Piastri had been disappointed to qualify second for the Grand Prix behind Norris, but it “turns out starting second at Spa is not so bad after all,” he said.

Piastri took his sixth win of the season and is the first McLaren driver to win the Belgian Grand Prix since Jenson Button in 2012.

Unlike the thrilling and chaotic last race in Britain, there was no significant rain after the race finally got underway and Sunday’s race was largely a procession after a few early attacks on the still-wet track. Most key contenders switched to dry tires at roughly the same time and didn't have to stop again.

In Red Bull's first Grand Prix since the firing of Christian Horner as team principal, Verstappen failed with an attempt to get past Leclerc at the start and spent the rest of the race behind the Ferrari driver on his way to fourth.

George Russell was fifth for Mercedes after an early pass on Alex Albon, who finished sixth for Williams after holding off Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who was seventh.

The seven-time champion started 18th and Hamilton carved his way through the field on the wet track early on but then lost momentum. Liam Lawson was eighth for Racing Bulls, with Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto ninth and Pierre Gasly 10th for Alpine.

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