George Russell, the British driver, won the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday, coming in first in a Mercedes one-two with Lewis Hamilton. Russell’s one-stop strategy proved to be the winning move in the race. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri came in third, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished fifth after starting 11th due to a grid penalty. Hamilton initially looked set to win his fifth Belgian GP after overtaking Charles Leclerc, but Russell’s strategic pit stop ultimately secured his victory.
Russell started sixth on the grid and opted for a one-stop strategy. While Hamilton made an additional pit stop, Mercedes chose to keep Russell out until the end of the race, allowing him to secure the win. Russell expressed his surprise at the victory, praising his team and Hamilton for their performances during the race. Hamilton closed the gap towards the end but was unable to overtake Russell, finishing just over half a second behind his teammate. Piastri, coming off his success in Hungary, finished third despite a pit stop error costing him precious time.
Following the race, Russell celebrated his third career win with his team, emphasizing the team effort that went into securing the victory. Leclerc, who started on pole, had to settle for fourth place ahead of Verstappen. Red Bull’s decision to take an engine penalty did not pay off this time, as Verstappen was unable to make significant progress through the field. Lando Norris finished sixth for McLaren, with Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez in seventh and eighth place, respectively.
Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin came in ninth, while Esteban Ocon, who will drive for Haas next season, finished in tenth place. The race marked the first time since 2020 that Verstappen failed to win in four consecutive races. Despite being on the front row at the start, Perez was unable to capitalize on his position and ended up in eighth place, recording the fastest lap of the race. Overall, the Belgian Grand Prix showcased strategic moves and unexpected outcomes, with Russell emerging as the surprise winner of the race in a Mercedes-dominated one-two finish.
