WATCH: Oscar Piastri pulls off stellar overtake on Charles Leclerc after going wheel-to-wheel at Belgian GP

Oscar Piastri went wheel-to-wheel against Charles Leclerc at lap 36 of the Belgian GP to make a breathtaking overtake on the Ferrari.

WATCH: Oscar Piastri pulls off stellar overtake on Charles Leclerc after going wheel-to-wheel at Belgian GP

Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri Belgian GP (via IMAGO)

The Belgian GP turned out another dominating race for Hungarian GP winner Oscar Piastri. The Aussie had been racing incredibly fast and pushing hard to overtake his rivals. Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc was caught off guard by Piastri at lap 36 of the race with the DRS advantage.

Charles Leclerc during the Saturday’s Qualifying sessions was the second fastest behind Max Verstappen. Despite securing second place, the Monégasque driver benefited from starting on pole. Verstappen, who secured pole in qualifying, was penalized with a ten-place grid penalty for exceeding the engine components quota. This led the Dutchman to start from 11th position.

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At lap 36 of the Belgian GP both Leclerc and Oscar Piastri were passing the DRS zone, where the Aussie was trailing the 26-year-old. Piastri went wheel-to-wheel to overtake Leclerc from the left with the advantage of DRS. This highlighted that the Australian driver completely dominated Ferrari driver despite starting sixth on the grid.

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Oscar Piastri (via IMAGO)

Andrea Stella reflects in team orders handling in Hungary

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella explained how McLaren managed its team orders during the Hungarian GP. Stella admitted that they should have prepared for the pitwall situation of drivers better before the race. He compared it to the necessity of pilot having a flight plan before flying. The Italian emphasized that preparation was key to handling complex situations, as making important decisions on the spot could’ve led them to mistakes. He mentioned McLaren learned from this experience and aims to improve their planning for future races, particularly Belgian GP.

I think one point that we definitely take on board is that we should have prepared the situation better before the race. You never find yourself preparing the flight plan as you fly. Okay? I think, that's a golden rule in any kind of challenging situation
Andrea Stella said, as reported by motorsport.com
Andrea Stella
Andrea Stella (via IMAGO)

Stella acknowledged that it was his responsibility to undertake the strategy used to pit Lando Norris giving advantage to Piastri. He admitted that while they had planned for many aspects of the race, they failed to discuss this particular situation. The Italian emphasized that despite the win, thorough preparation was crucial during the Hungarian GP. This oversight highlighted the need for better planning in future races to avoid similar issues for the team.

This is a responsibility of the team. It's my responsibility. I think we entered the race having planned many, many things. But this one actually was left undiscussed, let's say.
Andrea Stella added.

Certainly, Andrea Stella acknowledged that the team hadn’t considered the situation that arose during the race. He said they would take everything into consideration next time. This will allow them to have a plan to execute if a similar situation arises in the future.

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