The race weekend at Spa was filled with uncertainties. From Max Verstappen’s ten-grid penalty to Yuki Tsunoda’s sixty-grid penalty, the race had more twists than a thriller. However, it also made Mercedes the happiest yet the saddest team.
When the race ended, the Siler Arrows’ camp was ecstatic. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton finished 1-2, extending the team’s excellence. However, their celebration was cut short due to a mechanical fault. Moreover, Hamilton pinpointed a strategic error that prevented him from finishing ahead of Russell.
Hamilton Points Out A Strategical Error At Spa
The Belgian GP race could have been a fairytale finish for the Mercedes. Despite starting the race at P6, George Russell won the race with a half-second lead over his teammate. Russell’s success was due to his pit-stop strategy. The Briton and the Mercedes crew made a brave call to finish teh race with one pit stop. Although his tyres were worn out, he managed to take the checkered flag with ample lead. However, in a drastic turn of events, Russell was stripped of his Belgian GP silverware due to the team’s mechanical error. At the same time, his teammate Hamilton pointed out a strategic error that stopped him from winning the race.
The seven-time world champion reflected on his race strategy during the Belgian Grand Prix. He explained that despite his efforts to close the gap, George Russell executed an impressive strategy by extending his stint on the tires. Hamilton mentioned that in every stint, he still had tire life remaining, but the team decided to pull him in for pit stops. Although he found the situation unfortunate, Hamilton acknowledged that such days are part of racing.
Toto Wolff Admits Mistake That Cost George Russell The Belgian GP
Toto Wolff addressed the recent disqualification of the team, acknowledging that they made a mistake and must learn from it. He emphasized the importance of evaluating what went wrong to prevent similar issues in the future. Losing a 1-2 finish was frustrating for the team, and Wolff apologized to George Russell, who drove a strong race. He noted that Lewis Hamilton, who was promoted to P1, deserved the win as he was the fastest on the two-stop strategy.
Despite the setback, Wolff highlighted several positives from the weekend. The car performed exceptionally well, serving as the benchmark in the race across two different strategies, a feat that would have been unimaginable just a few months ago. As the team heads into the summer break, having won three of the past four races, they are motivated to return rejuvenated and maintain their positive momentum.
