Piastri is 'dominating' the whole field at Spa - Marko

      "He's not just outperforming us, but everyone else as well."

      Oscar Piastri has made a significant impact in the early stages at Spa-Francorchamps, showcasing an impressive one-lap performance in Sprint Qualifying that highlights his rising status as the championship leader in 2025. Following a dominant showing in the only practice session, the McLaren driver decisively took control on Friday afternoon, particularly outpacing teammate Lando Norris, who had arrived in Belgium feeling optimistic after his victory at the British GP.

      "Certainly not without mistakes," Norris remarked after his lap. "The gap to the front is quite substantial, but I'm not too disappointed. It's just for the sprint." However, the difference of over half a second was hard to overlook. As described by Auto Motor und Sport, "Piastri dismantles Norris."

      It wasn’t just Norris who struggled; neither Red Bull nor Ferrari could match the Australian’s speed through Spa’s fast corners, and Mercedes faced difficulties as well. "Oscar has consistently been in a league of his own in high-speed corners," stated Piastri’s manager Mark Webber. "This was already evident in Formula 3 and Formula 2."

      Red Bull arrived at Spa with an ambitious assortment of upgrades, including front wing, cooling inlets, sidepods, wishbones, and brake ducts, all added to Max Verstappen’s car. In contrast, teammate Yuki Tsunoda is two specifications behind, emphasizing how much the team is focusing on keeping Verstappen satisfied beyond 2025. "We've improved," Helmut Marko told Auto Motor und Sport. "But it’s still not enough to challenge Piastri here. Piastri, in particular, is incredible. He’s not just outperforming us, but everyone else as well."

      Despite this, Marko remains optimistic: "We were on Norris’ level in the second sector. This way, we can apply more pressure." Notably, Verstappen is once again without race engineer Gianpiero 'GP' Lambiase, reportedly due to personal reasons as in Austria. However, with Christian Horner recently being ousted, there are questions regarding the actual reason for GP's continued absence.

      At Ferrari, a new rear suspension did not improve Lewis Hamilton’s situation; he spun in Sprint Qualifying and was visibly frustrated. "No," he replied flatly when asked if the car was any easier to drive. However, Charles Leclerc seemed more positive. "The difference — compared to the McLarens — is enormous," he admitted. "But I did feel an improvement."

      Team principal Fred Vasseur also recognized McLaren’s extraordinary pace. "At the front, Oscar Piastri is leaving everyone behind. He’s in a different league," Vasseur told Sky Italia. "We can see the potential of the new parts, but we still lack experience with them." Even with the same suspension setups, Vasseur dismissed claims that the package favors Leclerc over Hamilton. "We need to figure out how to optimize the suspension usage and find a compromise. But for this, we need to gather more running time."