Oscar Piastri closes on Eurocup lead with controlling win at Spa

Photo: Renault Sport

Oscar Piastri narrowed Victor Martins’ Formula Renault Eurocup points lead with a controlling win at Spa-Francorchamps.

With the second qualifying session setting the grid, Martins started from pole ahead of Sebastian Fernandez and Piastri. A stall by Fernandez put Piastri immediately into second, and the R-ace GP driver slipstreamed past into the lead before Les Combes.

Piastri was unchallenged from then on, despite the appearance of the safety car mid-race to remove Callan O’Keeffe’s stricken M2 Competition car from Eau Rouge, and took his third win of the year.

MP Motorsport’s Martins took an easy second place, with his lead over Piastri cut down to two points.

Fernandez fought back from his lap one stall to finish third for Arden, battling past his own team-mate Patrik Pasma and then MP’s Lorenzo Colombo late on. Pasma outbraked himself on the last lap and lost fifth to M2’s Kush Maini, who had distanced himself from the frantic battle for seventh.

Petr Ptacek ended up winning that battle, despite having to concede a position to a track limits penalty, and just held off Renault Formula 1 junior Caio Collet.

Xavier Lloveras – who had qualified fifth – spent all race defending and was hurt by the safety car. He also had a poor start, but was still in sixth until his late race decline that dropped him to 10th. He was overtaken on the last lap by title contender Alexander Smolyar, who had started in 17th.

Race results (14 laps)