P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Oscar Piastri had to settle for a Belgian Sprint defeat, something he expected to happen at Spa-Francorchamps.
Oscar Piastri described his experience 15 laps behind Max Verstappen in the Belgian Grand Prix Sprint as “frustrating” and expected after losing to the four-time world champion.
Piastri started from pole but was overtaken by Verstappen on the opening lap at Les Combes due to his low downforce Red Bull.
Despite staying within one second of Verstappen throughout the sprint, Piastri couldn’t make a winning move and settled for second place, with Lando Norris finishing third.
Piastri’s F1 drivers’ title lead extended by nine points, though it could have been higher with a successful overtake on Verstappen.
Piastri mentioned the need for a thinner rear wing on his MCL39 to catch Verstappen on the straights, but such a setup isn’t ideal for expected rainy weather conditions on race day.
Considering the upcoming weather and potential rear wing adjustments, Piastri emphasized the balance between straight-line speed and wet weather performance for the McLaren team based in Woking.
