January 22, 2026
World
World
TOKYO, Jan 22 — Japan has halted the restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant just hours after it began, though the reactor remains “stable,” the operator said.
SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS (Belgium), July 28 — Oscar Piastri overtook McLaren teammate and title rival Lando Norris with a daring early move to win a rain-delayed Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, extending his Formula One championship lead to 16 points.
Charles Leclerc finished a distant third for Ferrari as McLaren celebrated their sixth one-two finish this season — and their third in a row — after 13 rounds.
The race at Spa-Francorchamps was red-flagged following the formation lap and delayed by an hour and 20 minutes due to heavy rain and poor visibility caused by spray and standing water.
Once racing resumed with a rolling start after four laps behind the safety car, Piastri wasted no time. He capitalized on a strong slipstream behind Norris through the high-speed Eau Rouge and made a bold pass along the Kemmel straight into Les Combes.
“I knew the first lap was my best shot at winning,” said the Australian. “I got a clean exit from Turn One and stayed flat through Eau Rouge as much as I dared.”
He added that while he struggled toward the end on medium tyres, the race was largely under control. The win marked Piastri’s sixth of the season, making him the most successful Australian in a single campaign — ahead of greats like Jack Brabham and Alan Jones.
Norris, who faced a brief battery issue during the race, offered no excuses. “Oscar just did a better job,” he said. “He was more committed through Eau Rouge, got the run, and that was it. He deserved the win today.”
Title Battle Intensifies
Piastri now leads the drivers’ standings with 266 points, ahead of Norris on 250. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen sits third, 81 points adrift, making the championship increasingly look like a two-horse race as the Hungarian Grand Prix approaches before the August break.
In the constructors' standings, McLaren lead comfortably with 516 points, followed by Ferrari on 248 and Mercedes further behind on 220.
Piastri pitted on lap 12 to switch from intermediate to medium tyres as the track dried, while Norris followed a lap later on hard tyres, rejoining nine seconds behind. Despite expectations that Piastri might need a second stop, he made the tyres last and crossed the line 3.415 seconds ahead.
Norris, who had been eyeing a third consecutive win, narrowed the gap late in the race but made minor errors that allowed the calm and collected Piastri to hold firm.
Sprint race winner Verstappen finished fourth — Red Bull’s first race since team principal Christian Horner’s departure. George Russell came in fifth for Mercedes.
Williams' Alex Albon fended off Ferrari’s seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton for sixth. Hamilton, last year’s Belgian GP winner, started from the pit lane but gained multiple positions after an engine change and an early switch to slicks.
Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson finished eighth, followed by Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber) in ninth, and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly claimed the final point in tenth. — Reuters
