Stavelot, July 26 : Max Verstappen secured his first Sprint win of the 2025 Formula 1 season at Spa-Francorchamps, triumphing in a tense dash during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. The Red Bull driver delivered a bold overtake on pole-sitter Oscar Piastri during the opening lap and held firm under pressure to take a commanding victory.

Piastri had made a strong start, maintaining the lead into Turn 1, but Verstappen capitalized on superior pace and grip to move ahead later in the lap. Despite growing threats from both McLaren cars, Verstappen showcased his defensive skills to maintain P1 throughout the race. Piastri and teammate Lando Norris completed the podium in second and third respectively.

"It worked out really well. That is the only real opportunity that you're going to get against them, and we got it into Turn 5. I knew it was going to be very tough keeping them behind, so it was very much like cat and mouse with DRS, battery usage, and the whole race was within seven tenths.

'I couldn't afford to make big mistakes. I had one tiny hiccup into the last corner, but apart from that, it was a great result to keep them behind. To have a win here at Spa, for me, it's a Sprint win, but it still counts and I'm very happy with what we did out there,' said Verstappen.

Charles Leclerc took fourth for Ferrari after briefly challenging the McLarens early on. Haas enjoyed a productive outing, with Esteban Ocon finishing fifth and rookie Ollie Bearman eighth. Williams' Carlos Sainz came home sixth, while Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar secured the final point in seventh.

Sprint Qualifying on Friday had seen Piastri take his first Sprint pole with a stunning 1m 40.510s lap, over four-tenths ahead of Verstappen. Norris lined up third.

Drama continued into the race start. Alpine's Franco Colapinto began from the pit lane due to a rear wing change, while teammate Pierre Gasly was unable to start after a water system failure on the grid. Tyre strategy was largely uniform, with all drivers opting for medium compounds except Colapinto, who gambled on softs.

Verstappen's win sees him collect the maximum eight points from the Sprint, a relief after a string of poor outings for the team.

/IANS