Oscar Piastri becomes the latest in a long list of drivers to find themselves in a tangle at La Source. Turn 1 at Spa has always been a magnet for incidents, especially at the first lap. 2023 was no different with the fast-charging Oscar Piastri and the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz coming together at turn 1. Meanwhile, Lando Norris has a terrible start and finds himself shuffled down the order really quickly.
McLaren’s stupendous run grinds to a halt
McLaren have been the talk of the paddock for the last month since they brought their upgrades to Austria. While some sources claim their gains to be worth more than a second a lap, it is still significant enough to make teams like Aston Martin and Ferrari sweat for their constructor’s championship positions.
Also Read: Lewis Hamilton gets Time penalty in Belgian GP Sprint, fans vent frustration
Oscar Piastri goes from Hero to Zero
Oscar Piastri has amazed everyone with his consistency in hanging to Lando Norris’ coattails. However, this weekend was the first one where the young Aussie was truly faster than his experienced British teammate. He proved the point by outqualifying him in the Sprint Shootout. He then went on to take the lead in the sprint, before finishing second behind Max Verstappen.
Starting behind Norris in the main race, he again got a mega start and was already ahead of his teammate before he poked his nose at turn 1. As soon as he arrived, he found the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz already on that piece of tarmac, resulting in damage for both. While Sainz continued on with the damaged car, Piastri had to pull over at the end of the first lap, ending his race.
Also Read: Belgian GP sees chaos at Sprint Start, 4 racing laps lost under Safety Car
Norris drops like a stone
McLaren chose to go for a very big rear wing hoping to make the best use of the DRS at Spa. What they didn’t think about was how to defend against everyone else. Norris, after having a bad start, fell like a stone through the pack as a multitude of cars passed him. At one point, he was passed by both Alexander Albon and Esteban Ocon on the run to Les Combes.
While Oscar Piastri’s weekend has come to an end, if anyone can make something out of a bad situation, it is the talented Lando Norris.
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