Lewis Hamilton confesses being ‘shocked’ by Mercedes strategy after George Russell wins Belgian GP
Lewis Hamilton finished second at the Belgian GP despite leading the race since the early stages.
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George Russell and Lewis Hamilton (via IMAGO)
The Belgian GP weekend was anticipated to be a rough one for Mercedes. The German marque had to abandon the upgrades heading into qualifying which set off the alarm bells in Brackley. Despite this, Lewis Hamilton started P3 on the grid and took the lead in the race in the initial few laps. However, the win was taken away from him by a strategic masterclass by George Russell, which left the older Brit shocked as the win disappeared in front of him.
Lewis Hamilton joined Mercedes in 2013. The pair scored their first win in Hungary in the same year and the recent race in Belgium marked its 11th anniversary. To commemorate this, another victory on the prestigious day would have been the charm for the team-driver pair. However, the chance to win the race vanished as George Russell adopted a one-stop strategy catapulting him up the field.
The one-stop gamble eventually paid off for the young Brit and helped him earn his third win in F1. On the contrary, witnessing the win being taken away from his grasp, Hamilton was left with a sour taste as the team rejoiced with a 1-2 finish.
Firstly, congrats to the team, congrats to George[Russell]. This will be a huge plus for everyone back at the factory to get a 1-2 going into the break is pretty spectacular, bit of a shock at the end but we'll take the in-house and move forwards.Lewis Hamilton said in post-race interview
The 39-year-old began by congratulating his younger compatriot on his win. However, he did not overlook the potential race win being taken away and claimed that he was shocked as the victory was snatched away from his grasp.
Lewis Hamilton took a jibe at Mercedes’ strategy division
Despite being shocked, Hamilton admitted that he should leave the instance behind and move forward. However, the mistake by the strategy team cost him the victory, and he did not let the strategy division escape without taking a dig at them.
Subsequently, when the Englishman was asked what he would have changed about his race, he made a sarcastic remark.
[I] would have made my own strategy.Lewis Hamilton said in post-race interview
Hamilton claimed that if he had things under control, he would have chosen a different strategy. This could be interpreted as the Brit going for a one-stopper like his teammate as he earlier claimed that he had life left in all of his stints during the race.
With the seven-time world champion having to act as a rear gunner during the last few laps, the Silver War could reignite amid such circumstances. On the other hand, as Hamilton prepares to move to Maranello, Russell would like to assert his authority inside Brackley, this win could aid him in achieving this objective.
In case you missed it:
- WATCH: McLaren avoid disaster as Oscar Piastri almost hits pit crew during Belgian GP
- George Russell rejoices ‘amazing’ Belgian GP victory keeping Lewis Hamilton at bay
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Geetansh Pasricha
(772 Articles Published)