George Russell’s Belgian GP disqualification overshadows incredible drive to victory
Despite being disqualified from the Belgian GP, George Russell will leave Spa-Francorchamps with new-found confidence.
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George Russell Belgian GP (via IMAGO)
Mercedes has made vast improvements in 2024. The Silver Arrows headed into the Belgian GP with both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell having one race win each. Russell and Hamilton seemed to have continued the momentum this weekend, albeit the former faced a shocking disqualification.
The Silver Arrows seemed to be on the backfoot in Qualifying as Red Bull showed immense pace. However, it was Lewis Hamilton who controlled the race from the front before George Russell‘s one-stop strategy gave him the lead.
Hamilton tried to retake the lead from his teammate in the last few laps. However, it was Russell who crossed the chequered flag in first place. The 26-year-old was heartbroken after he was disqualified for having an underweight car. Nevertheless, Mercedes would be proud by George Russell’s incredible drive to victory.
George Russell outperformed Lewis Hamilton on pure pace
George Russell is going to lead Mercedes once Lewis Hamilton joins Ferrari in 2025. However, there have been doubts regarding the 26-year-old’s ability to fulfill the massive shoes left by the seven-time world champion. With his stunning performance at Spa-Francorchamps, Russell has proved himself as one of the most talented drivers on the grid yet again.
The 26-year-old managed to hold on to the one-stop strategy throughout the race, a decision which granted him the race lead. More importantly, George Russell did not make a single mistake when Lewis Hamilton was less than a second behind, trying to take the win.
Fans witnessed a stunning battle in the last four laps of the race, with neither of the two ready to back down. Ultimately, it was Russell who made it clear that he has what it takes to even outrun the most successful driver in F1 with the same car. One could argue the 1.5kg weight difference might’ve played a factor according the rules, however, it cannot take away George Russell’s impressive performance.
Sadly, Russell’s drive will not be remembered on paper due to the disqualification. Nevertheless, Mercedes and George Russell would gain confidence from this race and plan for the future. Perhaps, the 26-year-old is ready to fight for the title in 2025.
In case you missed it:
- Helmut Marko unhappy after Sergio Perez ‘completely collapsed’ at Belgian GP amidst impending future decision
- Lewis Hamilton gives blunt response on wanting a different strategy after George Russell emerged victorious at Belgian GP
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Armaan Agarwal
(2310 Articles Published)