Ralf Schumacher says Piastri ‘simply better’ than Norris

Oscar Piastri has stretched his world championship lead to 16 points after passing McLaren teammate Lando Norris and claiming victory in a rain-delayed Belgian GP.

With Max Verstappen and Red Bull now slipping further from title contention, attention has shifted to what is fast becoming a head-to-head McLaren title fight.

“It is too early to talk about the situation in the championship,” McLaren CEO Zak Brown told reporters. “Max Verstappen should never be written off, but it’s obviously great that we have such a good lead over the competition.

"This allows us to have our two drivers race against each other. It’s exciting for everyone. The more racing, the better.”

McLaren has resisted calls to impose team orders, allowing the duo to fight freely on track. At Spa, it was Piastri who seized the advantage. It’s a fascinating psychological duel,” said RTBF’s Gaetan Vigneron.

While Norris is often seen as the faster qualifier, Piastri’s composure again made the difference in race trim, especially in difficult conditions.

“I mean Oscar just did a good job. Nothing more to say,” Norris said. “Committed a bit more through Eau Rouge and had a slipstream and got the run. Nothing to complain of. He did a better job in the beginning and that was it.”

Sky Deutschland pundit Ralf Schumacher was more blunt. “Lando still had a chance at the end because he was on the hard tyres, and Piastri’s were going off,” said the former F1 driver. “But he made three mistakes, losing a second each time. That’s exactly the three seconds he needed.”

“A Hamilton or Verstappen wouldn’t have made those mistakes,” Schumacher added. “Oscar was simply better.”

Norris conceded: “Oscar deserved it today. Another one-two. A well-deserved result for them and for Oscar too.”

Verstappen, meanwhile, finished only fourth behind Charles Leclerc, despite a small Red Bull upgrade.

“The conclusion is also that we couldn’t maintain the pace,” Helmut Marko admitted. “We were never in a position to overtake the Ferrari. McLaren is simply in a class of its own. You can only take your hat off to them again.”

Marko said the RB21’s setup window has improved but remains too narrow. “We still don’t have the same breadth as McLaren, for example. We were also surprised by Ferrari’s speed.”

Red Bull had gambled on a wet-weather setup for Verstappen, anticipating heavier rain, but a delay from the FIA allowed the track to dry significantly before the start.

“The setup we had in the sprint race would have been better under these conditions,” said Marko. “We have to keep working. We’re bringing some new parts with us to Hungary. We’ll see what happens.”

He also responded to Verstappen’s complaints about engine clipping: “The engine mapping is done by the Japanese,” he said, referring to Honda.]