Although George Russell’s lighter car secured the Belgian Grand Prix victory for Lewis Hamilton, this should not overshadow the ingenuity of his strategy and driving skills.
Russell’s daring decision, in collaboration with his pitwall, to choose an unexpected one-stop strategy transformed what initially seemed a fifth-place finish into a race win.
This victory left Hamilton feeling slightly frustrated afterward, as he indicated that the one-stop strategy had not been presented as an option for him.
In a post-race interview with F1’s cameras, Hamilton remarked: “Every stint, I had tyres left, but the team pulled me in….”
Further elaborating in the official press conference, Hamilton expressed that he was eager to continue on his tyres after each stint, but the team intervened each time.
“If you listen [to the radio], you’d hear my feedback to the team most of the time,” he shared.
“I believe the tyres were performing well. I still had plenty of grip and was gaining speed. I didn’t want to stop.”
Hamilton’s tone implied that there may have been an imbalance in strategy between him and Russell, as the latter managed to capitalize on a strategy option that was not made available to him.
George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
From Mercedes’ standpoint, the differing strategies for both drivers were attributed to their unique situations. The one-stop option for Russell emerged because he was positioned further down the grid, allowing for more risk.
Initially running fifth before the first pit stops, as the lead drivers transitioned to hard tyres, it appeared Russell would also follow suit. The minimal pace variation among competitors made advancing difficult.
However, with hard tyre degradation seemingly low and Russell having established a two-second gap to Max Verstappen behind him before the second stops, discussions arose about the necessity of a stop.
“It was quite an exchange over three laps,” Russell explained. “I think it’s tough because when you have an instinct, you have to trust it.
“Yet, when every other driver and team is pitting for a different strategy, coupled with the data from Friday which implied a one-stop option was not feasible, you can’t help but second-guess, thinking, ‘are we missing something?’
“Like, why is no one else trying this? I just felt in tune with the tyres and managed them well early on, which I knew would benefit me later.”
As others took their final stops, Russell found himself in the lead and shifted his focus to maintaining this position until the finish.
Conversely, Hamilton faced significant threats from behind, affecting how the race unfolded for him. Charles Leclerc was well within striking distance, while Oscar Piastri was gaining ground, and Mercedes learned from Lando Norris’s long strategy that led to difficulties in overtaking slower cars.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff later clarified that while Hamilton believed his tyres were still in good shape, the decision to pit was centered on maintaining track position against the advancing Leclerc and Piastri.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Wolff stated: “As a driver, you don’t have the complete picture because he claimed his tyres were fine. At that moment, a one-stop strategy wasn’t considered viable. We had to defend against Piastri and Leclerc behind. You can see that everyone else opted for the two-stop logically.
“It just wasn’t on the radar. What we did with Lewis was the correct approach. In the end, however, it was George who managed to make his tyres last.”
Such an outcome was not anticipated, as if it had been, other top teams would likely have followed suit.
When Mercedes made the strategic divergence, their data suggested that Russell’s finish could range anywhere from first to fifth, making it a not wholly straightforward decision.
Additionally, it surprised Mercedes how significantly dirty air complicated Hamilton’s attempts to get past his teammate at the race’s conclusion.
Mercedes later revealed that had Piastri been closer at the end and appeared to threaten the win, they would have likely asked Russell to allow Hamilton to pass.
When asked about the possibility of a position swap, Wolff replied: “Not through team orders, but if we had one more lap, that might have been a consideration to protect P1, pushing George to finish P3 instead. But I am glad we didn’t have to make that call.”
As Hamilton assesses the race’s outcome, he likely recognizes that if Russell’s surprising one-stop strategy led to extra tyre wear and ultimately resulted in his car being underweight, then sticking to the original strategy might have saved him from a more significant setback, despite his initial annoyance.
