After an uphill start to the weekend, Lewis Hamilton wins the Belgian GP. Before Russell's disqualification he had finished second at the finish line. A good result, but the seven-time world champion expected something more in the finale. In fact, Hamilton, after having managed to outwit Sergio Perez at the start, had easily reached the lead of the race by overtaking Leclerc. Then, however, Russell's unexpected choice changed the fate of the race.
Belgian GP to Lewis Hamilton after the momentary disappointment at the finish line
A Formula 1 capable of leaving fans in suspense even after the end of the race. Unfortunately, this was the one who paid the price George Russell. The young English driver finished the Belgian GP in first position thanks to his great strategic intuition. The fact is that the race judges found his car underweight compared to what was indicated by the regulations, a break-in that cost him the victory. A bittersweet Sunday for Mercedes who, on the one hand saw a great one-two finish before his eyes, on the other hand did not lose first place. In fact, Lewis Hamilton took the top step of the podium for the second time in the last four races.
A verdict that will not erase George Russell's prowess from the memory of spectators and professionals, just as we cannot forget Lewis Hamilton's disappointment at the finish line of the Belgian GP. In fact, the seven-time world champion had finished the race on the Belgian circuit in second position, where he was surprised by the aggressive strategy of his teammate, who was later disqualified. Hamilton had repeatedly signaled to his engineer that, despite the many laps on his shoulders, his hard tires were working well, implicitly underlining that perhaps he could have gone to the end without making the second stop. The English driver, however, did not impose himself on the team's choice to call him back to the pits.
Hamilton disappointed by the strategy adopted: "For every stint I had tires left"
In fact, as per practice, the most aggressive strategy often falls to the driver of the team who is furthest down and in most difficulty. Russell was able to go all out because he had nothing to lose. Hamilton, however, was leading the race. Furthermore, the number 44 had to return for the second stop also to defend himself from possible undercuts by Leclerc and Piastri. As soon as he got out of the car, in the usual pre-podium interviews, in Lewis' words pride prevailed for the result obtained as a team: "I didn't expect this result at all. First of all I have to congratulate George and the team. Friday was disastrous, the car wasn't there. We made some changes, but we didn't know how things would go because of yesterday's rain. The car today was fantastic. We did a nice one-two finish and did a solid job on pit stops and strategy. Thanks to the guys at the factory".
However, the jarring notes for Lewis came over strategy and the final battle with Russell. “I tried to get close to George, but he did an amazing job, going long on the tyres. Every stint I had some tires left, but the team told me to come back...unfortunately that's how it went. It's one of those days“. A disappointment that then proved even more profound for Lewis Hamilton on Mara Sangiorgio's Sky microphones, to whom Hamilton confirmed his desire not to return. A Lewis who is partly bitter for not having been listened to but, at the same time, probably also disappointed with himself for not having imposed himself more on his team. In the end however, even thanks to the race judges, the victory still came for Hamilton.
