Hamilton had an excellent start to the Belgian Grand Prix, starting from third place on the grid. He overtook Sergio Perez and Charles Leclerc to take the lead of the race.
Despite starting from sixth on the grid, Russell took a different approach with a one-stop strategy, which was quite unconventional.
Russell deserves praise for making his one-stop strategy work by extending the life of his Hard tires in the second stint. However, Hamilton was disappointed as he was unable to pass his teammate, even though he had better tires. Passing was difficult throughout the race at Spa-Francorchamps.
After the race, Hamilton expressed his frustration as Mercedes asked him to pit despite his belief that his tires were still in good condition.
In an interview with Sky Sports F1, Hamilton congratulated the team and Russell, acknowledging that this result will be a major boost for everyone at the factory. He also admitted that Mercedes did not expect to perform as well as they did, especially after being a second off the pace during Friday’s practice sessions. It was a remarkable achievement to secure a one-two finish before the summer break.
Given the circumstances, Hamilton did not anticipate Mercedes to be competitive this weekend at Spa.
“It was a great feeling to take the lead. It came as a surprise towards the end, but we will handle that internally and move forward,” expressed the British driver, reflecting on the strategic disadvantage he faced.
“For the majority of the race, George wasn’t really a contender. If the strategy had been executed correctly, he wouldn’t have been in the mix. However, it’s satisfying to have competitive cars towards the end,” he added optimistically. “We can all head into the summer break with our heads held high and return stronger in the second half.”
Acknowledging the circumstances, the 39-year-old stated, “It is what it is. I will progress and enjoy my break.”
When questioned about Hamilton’s performance, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff explained, “I would have liked to see two winners today, but we had to consider Leclerc and Norris to avoid being undercut. That was the decision we made. George had nothing to lose, and since we were in fifth position, both one-stop and two-stop strategies were showing fifth place, so we left him out.”
However, it was later discovered that Russell’s car did not meet the weight requirements, resulting in disqualification and ultimately granting Hamilton the victory.
In Mercedes’ race report, Hamilton expressed a different sentiment, stating, “Of course, it’s disappointing for the team to lose the 1-2 finish, but there are many positives to take away from today. The car felt good, and we had better pace than anticipated. While there were other cars with similar performance, once we secured the lead, we were able to maintain it.”
“We committed to the two-stop strategy and covered those directly behind us,” Hamilton continued, echoing Wolff’s explanation. “George managed to make the one-stop strategy work, and although I closed in on him in the final laps, I couldn’t overtake due to the turbulent air.”
Hamilton sympathized with Russell, acknowledging, “It’s not ideal to win a race through disqualification. However, we have been back in the fight for victories in recent races. The competition is incredibly fierce now, so we need to work hard to consistently battle for wins. Nevertheless, we can approach the summer break with momentum and a positive mindset,” concluded the Mercedes driver.
