Lando Norris clinched pole position at Spa-Francorchamps by a razor-thin margin over McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, turning a damp qualifying session into a masterclass of precision driving. Our exclusive onboard footage breaks down the lap that sealed it, highlighting where Norris found those crucial tenths.
In the final Q3 runs, with the track drying but still tricky, Norris posted a 1:53.981— just 0.003 seconds quicker than Piastri’s effort. The gap? It boiled down to tiny edges in three sectors.
Sector one saw Norris aggressive through La Source and into Eau Rouge, carrying more speed up the hill. He braked later into the right-hander, gaining a sliver of time that Piastri couldn’t match without risking a slide.
Mid-lap, through the twisting section from Les Combes to Bruxelles, Norris’s line was smoother, apexing tighter and accelerating earlier out of the turns. Piastri, pushing hard, lost a fraction on exit, where traction mattered most on the evolving surface.
The decider came in sector three. Norris nailed the Blanchimont flat-out, then braked perfectly for the final chicane, avoiding the lock-ups that plagued others. Piastri was close but clipped the kerb slightly, costing him that vital 0.003s.
Watch the side-by-side comparison below to see it unfold—Norris in orange, Piastri in black. It’s a reminder of how McLaren’s intra-team battle is shaping the 2025 season, with both drivers locked in for another year of fierce competition.
