Russell’s unexpected victory in Belgium marks a strategic triumph for Mercedes F1.
George Russell clinched an entirely unexpected victory at the Belgian Grand Prix. The Mercedes F1 driver personally opted for a one-stop strategy that worked flawlessly. He also praised the decision to remove the upgrades on Friday evening, which returned the W15 to its optimal performance window.
“It was incredible, I hadn’t predicted this in the strategy meeting this morning, but we made many changes on Friday and the car was brilliant. The tyres were very good and I kept saying I could make one stop work and the strategy team did a superb job,” Russell stated.
“Kudos to Lewis because he controlled the race and he would have won under different circumstances. It’s fantastic that the team secured a one-two finish and it’s the best way to head into the break.”
When asked about the strategy, he admitted he was unsure whether it was his or the team’s decision: “I was focused throughout the race, but it was a team effort, from all the strategy guys. We rolled the dice, the car was good, and the pace was there.”
Mercedes is on a strong streak, much to the Briton’s delight: “Three wins in six races, I wish we had another weekend coming up next week! The team has worked so hard, I thank everyone at Brackley and Brixworth.”
Hamilton incredulous after the ‘disaster’ of the practice sessions
Lewis Hamilton was just as incredulous as his teammate about Mercedes achieving a double podium. He explained that the rain during qualifying masked the W15’s potential in that configuration, but it was formidable on the track.
“First off, congratulations to George and the team. It was a disaster on Friday, the car was nowhere, and we made changes. It was hard to tell yesterday, but the car was fantastic today. The team did a solid job with the stops and the strategy,” Hamilton celebrated.
The seven-time world champion, however, lamented that the team had been overly cautious with their stints: “I always tried to get closer, but George did an excellent job managing the tyres. Each stint, I had life left in the tyres, but the team would bring me in. It’s a shame, these things happen.”
He doesn’t see Mercedes vying for either championship this year but wants to capitalize on this form: “No! That would be aiming too high. We just want to keep performing as we have in the recent races, it’s fantastic. The McLarens were very strong today but just slightly ahead, so we’re going to keep pushing.”
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Strategy Triumph: Russell Mercedes Take Belgium Strategy Triumph: Russell Mercedes Take Belgium
