In a thrilling Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, George Russell secured a stunning victory for Mercedes, leading a 1-2 finish for the team. Russell’s bold decision to employ a one-stop strategy proved to be the winning move, as he managed to hold off his teammate Lewis Hamilton in the closing laps. The victory marks Russell’s third career win in Formula 1 and his second of the season.Russell, who started from sixth on the grid, made his single pit stop on lap 11 and successfully nursed his hard tires for an impressive 34 laps to the checkered flag. Hamilton, who had led for much of the race after starting second, opted for a two-stop strategy but couldn’t overcome Russell’s track position advantage, finishing just 0.526 seconds behind.McLaren’s Oscar Piastri rounded out the podium in third place, continuing the team’s strong run of form. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who started from pole position, finished fourth, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen made a remarkable recovery drive from 11th on the grid (due to a 10-place engine change penalty) to finish fifth.Despite not winning the race, Verstappen maintained his lead in the World Championship, now 78 points ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris. The result sees Mercedes close the gap to third-placed Ferrari in the constructor’s championship, having now won three of the last four races.The race was not without its challenges for some drivers. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez struggled to eighth place, while Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu was forced to retire due to a hydraulic issue. The next round of the Formula 1 championship will take place on August 25th at the Zandvoort circuit in the Netherlands.
Key points
- George Russell won the Belgian Grand Prix with a risky one-stop strategy, leading a Mercedes 1-2 finish.
- Max Verstappen recovered from 11th to finish 5th, maintaining his championship lead.
- Mercedes has now won three of the last four races, closing the gap to Ferrari in the constructor’s championship.
- The next Formula 1 race will be held on August 25th at Zandvoort, Netherlands.
