An ecstatic George Russell had the honor of accepting the trophy for the Belgian GP on Sunday – after a strategic game at Spa-Francorchamps, he managed to keep Lewis Hamilton at bay and led a one-two for Mercedes. However, the loss was significant when he had to hand over the cup to his teammate just a few hours later. “I’m still proud,” responds a defeated Russell.
Strategic Triumph and Subsequent Disappointment
George Russell was over the moon when his own strategy – controlling the race on hard tires – secured him the victory during the Belgian Grand Prix. In the final phase of the race, even an unleashed Lewis Hamilton could not outperform his teammate. However, just a few hours later, the race was decided anew. Russell’s W15 was found to be 1.5 kilograms too light; Hamilton was handed the victory.
Russell’s Reaction
Russell expressed his sorrow in a post on X: “I am deeply saddened,” wrote the British driver. “We were just 1.5 kilos short and have been disqualified from the race. We gave it our all and I am still proud to have crossed the finish line first. This is far from over,” he concluded. Later, he posted on Instagram congratulating his teammate on his victory.
Mixed Feelings
Lewis Hamilton, who celebrated his 105th victory in Formula 1 with a win in Spa, has ‘mixed feelings’ about the race outcome. “Of course, I’m happy that I won, but I also feel for George (Russell),” Hamilton wrote to his 37 million followers on Instagram. “Moreover, it’s disappointing that the team couldn’t secure a one-two finish.”
The seven-time world champion emphasizes that there is ‘plenty of positives’ to report after the Belgian race. “At the beginning of the weekend, we didn’t expect we were fast enough to compete at the front,” he continued. “It’s good to see that we can make so much progress. We take all of this into the summer break and hope to come back even stronger.”
