Sport

George Russell’s inspired strategy secures thrilling Belgian Grand Prix win

British driver made just one pit-stop and was able to hold off his Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton

British driver George Russell of Mercedes-AMG Petronas celebrates after winning the Belgium Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. Photograph: Jonas Roosens/AFP via Getty Images
Giles Richards
Sun Jul 28 2024 - 16:24

George Russell won the Belgian Grand Prix, pulling off a surprise victory for Mercedes at Spa Francorchamps after a thrilling and impossibly tense battle with his team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who was second, completing a Mercedes one-two.

Russell did so having made a bold call to try a one-stop strategy, which paid off against the odds. Oscar Piastri was third for McLaren and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in fourth. Max Verstappen managed to come back from 11th on the grid to claim fifth for Red Bull and crucially beat his championship rival Lando Norris into sixth.

Russell’s inspired decision to try a one-stop gave him track position on older tyres at the end and the British driver was able to manage with great skill to hold off a charge from his compatriot Hamilton, who had stopped twice. It was the best win of Russell’s career, delivered with touch and verve and at the death an ironclad nerve as Hamilton harassed him to the flag.

Verstappen made a strong comeback but Norris will be disappointed he could not do more, with the world champion extending his championship lead over the British driver to 78 points.

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Russell’s mighty drive secured the third win of his career and the third in four races for Mercedes. The 26-year-old from King’s Lynn may have inherited his win in Austria, after Norris and Verstappen clashed, but this was absolutely deserved. In a race executed with flawless precision under immense pressure, Russell and indeed Mercedes were at their very best to take their first one-two since Brazil in 2022.

Starting from sixth on the grid, Russell had not initially looked to be a player in the fight for the win. Hamilton had taken the lead from Leclerc in the early stages and appeared comfortable while leading, while Piastri moved up to third through the first set of stops.

Russell had stopped early, on lap 10 of the 44-lap race, as the leaders went head to head out front. However, as the race progressed Russell felt more and more grip coming to him and suggested to the team they switch to a one-stop strategy.

Hamilton remained ahead of Leclerc by two seconds on lap 24. The Ferrari driver took his final stop on lap 25 and Mercedes covered it off a lap later, with Hamilton emerging in front of Leclerc again.

After the second stops shook out, Russell led with a six-second advantage on his team-mate, while Hamilton felt Piastri was his real threat, with the Australian showing great pace in third with 10 laps to go. Norris hunted Verstappen, while Piastri passed Leclerc brilliantly through Les Combes on lap 36 and set off after Hamilton.

By lap 40 the two leaders were one second apart, with Hamilton quicker and Mercedes telling the team-mates they could race for the win. With Russell’s tyres at their limit he still defended stoutly as Hamilton crawled all over his gearbox for the final laps and Piastri, too, moved in on them both.

Credit to Mercedes for letting their duo race; the final laps were impossibly tense but Russell had enough to hold his place after a bold and brave race of enormous skill making his tyres work for 34 laps to take the flag just half a second up on his team-mate.

Carlos Sainz was seventh for Ferrari, Sergio Pérez eighth for Red Bull, Fernando Alonso ninth for Aston Martin and Esteban Ocon 10th for Alpine. – Guardian