Hydraulic Leak Hampers Oscar Piastri’s Pace at Belgian Grand Prix

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri lost valuable track time at Spa‑Francorchamps after a hydraulic leak surfaced at the end of Friday’s free‑practice 1. The problem forced a gearbox swap and kept the Australian car in the garage for almost 20 minutes, limiting his running ahead of qualifying.

Despite the setback, Piastri reached Q3 and posted a seventh‑fastest lap, which will be upgraded to sixth after Lando Norris receives a ten‑place grid penalty. After qualifying, Piastri said the car “just needed speed” and acknowledged the weekend’s difficulty.

The incident came as Mercedes secured pole for the race, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris completing the front row.