Sir Lewis Hamilton inherits victory after teammate is denied Belgian Grand Prix win
George Russell’s victory short-lived after checks revealed his car was under the minimum weight required
SIR Lewis Hamilton was crowned the winner of the Belgium Grand Prix after teammate George Russell was disqualified, writes Damian Hall.
After crossing the finish line, a check by the stewards revealed that Russell’s car was under the minimum weight required by regulations, promoting Hamilton, who finished half a second behind, to 1st place. This marks the 39-year-old’s 105th win in Formula 1, further extending the record he already holds.
At the time of the stewards’ decision, Hamilton could not be reached for comment.
The seven-time world champion started the race from 3rd on medium tyres. The record-breaking Brit quickly moved up to 2nd by turn 1. He then overtook Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on lap 3 down the Kemmel Straight to take the lead.
Hamilton seemed poised for victory, controlling most of the race, pitting at the end of lap 11 and again at the end of lap 26 to cover an undercut attempt by Leclerc. However, Hamilton’s conservative strategy of pitting twice was not enough to catch Russell, who boldly stayed out when others pitted.
Post-race, Hamilton praised his teammate’s performance. He said: “George did a great job going long on the tyres.”
Reflecting on the race, Hamilton added: “Every stint I had tyre left, but the team brought me in. Unfortunate, but it is what it is. We just have to keep pushing. We can go into the summer break on a positive.”
Russell, now disqualified, had gambled on a one-stop strategy to initially claim his 3rd career win at Spa-Francorchamps.
He started from 6th on the grid, making a pit stop for a fresh set of hard tyres on lap 10. While others, including his teammate Hamilton, pitted twice, Russell nursed his tyres for an incredible 34 laps, defying the odds and a late charge from Hamilton despite losing up to 7 tenths of a second per lap.
Russell was ecstatic after the race. He said: “Amazing result, we definitely didn’t predict this outcome in the team briefing.”
He also commended his teammate: “Well done to Lewis because he really controlled the race [early on].”
He could not be reached for comment after his disqualification.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who finished 3rd, also reflected on his race, saying he was “happy with the result.
“Once I got a little clean air in the middle stint, I picked up a little pace. Happy with the result and I don’t think we could have done much more,” he said.
The current championship leader Max Verstappen, who was expected to slice through the field, never made it past 5th place. His teammate, Sergio Perez, lost positions at the start and never regained ground, eventually finishing in 8th. This performance does not bode well for Perez’s future at Red Bull.
The Belgian Grand Prix showcased the unpredictable and thrilling nature of the sport. As the season progresses, both Mercedes drivers will be looking to build on this performance and continue their push for championship success.
F1 goes on a break until August 23 – 25 when they resume in the Netherlands.
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