Andrea Stella thinks Lando Norris made one critical error before losing the lead of the Belgian Grand Prix

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Lando Norris was in a prime position to achieve three consecutive victories for the first time in his Formula 1 career at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Despite starting from pole position, McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri breezed past him on the Kemmel straight.

And Norris was helpless to defend from his championship rival, watching him ease past as they approached the start of sector two.

As Piastri eased to victory, he extended his drivers’ championship gap to 16 points, which is a comfortable margin to hold, as long as he doesn’t suffer any retirements.

F1 fans are convinced Piastri will win the title after witnessing his latest performance, which was assured in tricky conditions.

There’s time for that to change, but Damon Hill lauded the ‘extraordinary’ Piastri for coordinating his attempts to get by Norris so well. It was timed to perfection.

READ MORE: Nico Rosberg relieved that Lando Norris has finally started listening to him after Belgian Grand Prix pole

Andrea Stella thinks Lando Norris’ critical Belgian Grand Prix error came at the restart

Norris landed a ‘psychological’ blow to Piastri by claiming pole position on Saturday, but it’s widely known that it isn’t the best spot to be in at Spa.

Sector one is a slipstream haven, and cars starting at the very front always struggle to hold their leads beyond the end of lap one.

Despite his efforts and receiving a small advantage of having to deal with a rolling start in the wet, rather than a standing one, Norris was still powerless to defend himself.

According to McLaren boss Andrea Stella, Norris’ main error came when not building enough of a gap when the safety car came in to mark the start of the race.

“It would have always been very difficult for Lando to keep the position starting first at the safety car restart,” he told BBC Sport. “At the same time, I think Lando didn’t help himself by not having a great gap on the finish line.”

READ MORE: Oscar Piastri told he’s not the F1 champion ‘we’d like to see’ over one thing he ‘doesn’t’ do compared to Lando Norris

Why winning the last F1 race before the summer break will be crucial at McLaren

The potential swing for the winner of the upcoming Hungarian Grand Prix heading into the summer break could be massive.

Presuming that McLaren are able to achieve a one-two, which could be tricky at a shorter circuit, then both of their drivers will be desperate to come out on top.

Piastri’s lead could be slashed to a minor nine points, but it could also be extended to as much as 23 if he reigns supreme.

Taking as much momentum into the holidays as possible sets them up for a successful second half of the season, which is vital if either are to become Formula 1 champion.

The team’s attention will slowly be turning to the 2026 F1 regulations, but for now, there are still major scores to be settled on track this season.