George Russell beat Lewis Hamilton in Formula 1’s 2024 Belgian Grand Prix, which the seven-time world champion had dominated, as Russell’s surprise one-stop strategy paid off, with Oscar Piastri third for McLaren.
In a race made engaging from start to finish thanks to varying tyre strategy efforts, Max Verstappen recovered to fifth after his engine-change grid penalty.
In doing so he held off distant title rival Lando Norris, while on a critical day for his career Sergio Perez fell from second to finish eighth and well adrift of the frontrunning pack, as one of his would-be replacements at Red Bull – Daniel Ricciardo – came close to scoring the race’s final point for RB.
At the start, Charles Leclerc led away from pole as Hamilton immediately jumped up from starting third to run alongside Perez at the first corner, then seal second on the downhill run to Eau Rouge, which in turn allowed Leclerc to stay clear in first up the Kemmel straight.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15, Lando Norris, McLaren MCL38, George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, Oscar Piastri, McLaren MCL38, the rest of the field at the start
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
But the Ferrari driver’s lead lasted only two laps of the 44, as Hamilton quickly closed in and then moved to the lead with a DRS blast up to the Les Combes chicane.
Hamilton then gradually dropped Leclerc across the first of three stints in the two-stop affair for most of the frontrunners, while the different tyre tactics brought other drivers behind into focus at various points.
After Norris lost three places on the opening lap by dipping his left-rear into the gravel at the exit of La Source, he soon had Verstappen roaring up behind after the world champion quickly cleared the midfielders he had started behind in 11th.
Ahead of this pair was Carlos Sainz, who alone of the leaders started on the hard tyres with the rest on mediums, and the Spaniard was able to hang on in front of Norris after the McLaren driver had botched an overtake in the early laps and then they both cycled to the front as Hamilton, Leclerc and co pitted for the first time at the one-quarter phase.
Here Russell, who had gained significantly with a good start from behind Norris on the grid, was in the thick of the action with Piastri – undercutting him at these pitstops, then getting immediately repassed and having to watch the Australian head up the road fight by…
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