Spa winner Oscar Piastri’s F1 boss backs FIA’s controversial call

McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finished 1-2 at the 2025 Belgian GP. FIA has been under fire from many, including Max Verstappen, for delaying the start of the race at Spa Francorchamps. Amid this, McLaren Boss Andrea Stella came out in support of the FIA amid the controversial call.

The Belgian GP was set to begin at 3:00 PM local time. The formation lap got underway behind the safety car at the official start time, with some drivers complaining about the visibility between Turns 1 & 5. However, the remainder of the track was good enough to start racing.

Regardless, the FIA waved the Red Flag, and all the cars came into the pits. The stewards then waited for 1 hour and 20 minutes to let the next band of rain pass away, and only then started the race.

Max Verstappen came out and detailed the same, suggesting a few laps under the safety car during the official start would've made the visibility better between Turns 1 & 5. Even when the race got underway after the delay, the drivers spent 4 laps under the safety car before a rolling start led the grid to green.

F1 Belgian Grand Prix 2025 - Source: Getty

Drivers like Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton took to the team radio after the first lap, suggesting the track was ready to go racing. However, since the meeting at Silverstone to analyse why multiple drivers crashed in the wet conditions, the FIA decided to only start the Belgian GP when the following car's visibility was good enough.

Amid this, Oscar Piastri's boss, Andrea Stella, came out in support of the FIA as he said,

“I think today the race was managed in a very wise way by the FIA because we knew that there was a lot of rain coming.”

“'I understand that it will be quite entertaining to see cars going in wet conditions, but we all should be wary that the average speed is so high that the cars just displace such a large amount of water that it's just impossible to see,” added Oscar Piastri’s boss

“We have seen already in Silverstone that a car drove into the gearbox of another car because it was impossible to see it And it was lower, and there was less water. So we don't want to see the same in Spa. So well done by the FIA,” added Stella

Oscar Piastri passed Lando Norris on the first lap on the Kemmel straight and maintained the lead for the rest of the race to take the win.

“Lando didn't help himself: Andrea Stella on Oscar Piastri's move on his teammate at the Belgian GP

Lando Norris took the pole position and started the Belgian GP at the front. With FIA opting for a rolling start, Norris had an advantage in comparison to a standing start. Yet, Oscar Piastri kept it close into the first corner. Norris had a bit of a slide into turn 1 and lost time up the Kemmel straight.

F1 Grand Prix of Belgium - Source: Getty

Oscar Piastri, on the other hand, lifted just before Eau Rouge to get a good run up Raidillon and passed his teammate on the Kemmel straight. Speaking about the overtake, McLaren Boss Andrea Stella said,

“I think the overtake ultimately came because it's very difficult for the car that leads the pack to actually arrive first in Turn 5. It's not impossible, but it does require decent advantage as you cross the finish line, which was not the case for Lando already at the restart. Lando didn't help himself by not having a great gap on the finish line.”

Oscar Piastri then extended his lead, got the preferential opportunity to take the first stop on the dry tires, and despite the medium tires compared to Lando’s hard rubber, won the race by over three seconds.