Russell wins Belgian GP in Mercedes one-two

Britain's George Russell won the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday in a Mercedes one-two with seven-times Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton, after his one-stop strategy outfoxed everyone.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri, who won his first F1 GP in Hungary last weekend, finished third with Red Bull's championship leader Max Verstappen fifth after starting 11th on the grid following a 10-place grid penalty for taking on a fifth engine.

Hamilton looked set to win his fifth Belgian GP after he outfought Red Bull's Sergio Perez at the start to move into second and took the lead on lap three, overtaking Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who finished fourth, on the Kemmel straight.

 

Russell started sixth on the grid and came in for his first pit stop on lap 10 with Hamilton coming in two laps later, but while Hamilton came in again on lap 27, Mercedes were happy for his teammate to stay out until the end.

"The tyres felt great so I just kept saying we can do the one-stop, we can do the one-stop. Well done to Lewis, he did a great job controlling the race and if circumstances were different he could have won the race," Russell said.

 

Hamilton closed the gap in the final laps but could not get close enough to overtake Russell and finished 0.526 seconds behind his teammate, who won his second race of the season.

 

While neither Mercedes driver is in the hunt for the Championship, Hamilton may feel slightly aggrieved.

 

"I was trying to get closer obviously, but George did a great job going long on the tyres," Hamilton said. "Every stint I had tyres left but the team brought me in, so unfortunate, but it is one of those days."

 

RACING BREAK

Piastri, fresh from his Hungary success, came in 1.173 seconds behind the leader, and his final pit stop where he ran over his marks cost him two precious seconds.