Oscar Piastri strikes back as Kimi Antonelli European nightmare continues – Belgian GP Winners and Losers

The Belgian Grand Prix at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps was an underwhelming affair, following a lengthy 80-minute delay to allow poor weather to pass over. 

Once green flag running finally got underway, what was set to be a wet race turned into a largely dry afternoon.

Oscar Piastri struck back to claim his first win since Barcelona, whilst Kimi Antonelli's European nightmare continued in 16th.

So, who has made the RacingNews365 list of winners and losers for the 2025 F1 Belgian Grand Prix?

Winner - Oscar Piastri

Oscar Piastri had shone excellent pace throughout the weekend in Spa, to the extent he claimed Sprint pole by almost five-tenths of a second. 

However, he was defeated by Max Verstappen in the 15-lap dash, before Lando Norris pipped him to pole for the grand prix. 

In championship leader fashion though, Piastri learnt from how Verstappen took the sprint win from him and applied the same tactics on Norris into Les Combes. 

Piastri overtook Norris on the first lap of green flag running, before controlling the race to win by just over three seconds. As a result, he leads the F1 drivers' title by 15 points. 

Loser - Kimi Antonelli

Kimi Antonelli's European horror show just will not end for the Mercedes teenager, who suffered back-to-back early qualifying exits in Spa. 

Antonelli started towards the back in both the sprint and the main event, and was spotted with a tissue in hand after being eliminated in Q1 on Saturday afternoon. 

Despite feeling better in the race, the 18-year-old could only manage 16th, continuing his run of six consecutive European races without a point. 

The pressure is starting to increase on the Italian to deliver better results, particularly with his current form hurting the Silver Arrows in the constructors' standings.

Winner - Charles Leclerc

Following the introduction of new rear suspension, Charles Leclerc enjoyed a very successful few days in Belgium, collecting a fifth podium of the season. 

The Monegasque finished fourth in the sprint before qualifying in third for the grand prix, ahead of Max Verstappen. 

Leclerc showed aggression when needed but also consistent pace, which saw him convert third on the grid into the final spot on the rostrum. 

He now has the same number of podiums in 2025 as Verstappen and George Russell, an impressive achievement given the documented Ferrari difficulties this year.

Loser - Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton is a difficult one, as the seven-time world champion did actually make 10 places in the race and received the 'Driver of the Day' award. 

However, the Briton needed to make up the places after being eliminated in Q1, following a mistake at Turn 4 where he exceeded track limits. 

The mistake occurred 24 hours after the 40-year-old was also knocked out in SQ1, resulting in a painful sprint. 

In a complete contrast to Silverstone, Hamilton boasted excellent pace in the damp conditions early in the race and timed his switch to slicks perfectly. Unfortunately, his pace vanished when the track completely dried, with Alex Albon being too difficult to pass for sixth.

Winner - Alex Albon

On the topic of Albon, the Williams driver enjoyed a strong weekend, securing strong points for the Grove-based outfit. 

After watching Stake F1 score huge points in Silverstone with Nico Hulkenberg's podium, Albon converted fifth on the grid into sixth in the race. 

Russell was the only driver to overtake Albon, who managed to keep himself ahead of Hamilton. 

It strengthened the 29-year-old's eighth position in the drivers' standings, and increased Williams' advantage over Stake to 27 points in the fight for fifth.

Loser - Isack Hadjar

It was an unfortunate Belgian GP for Isack Hadjar, who had scored a point in the sprint and qualified in eighth for the grand prix. 

Once again, Hadjar was ahead of Racing Bulls team-mate Liam Lawson, but suffered a disastrous race. 

The French-Algerian tumbled to the back of the field and finished in a distant last, as a result of an issue which started early in the race.