Despite George Russell’s underweight car leading to Lewis Hamilton’s victory at the Belgian Grand Prix, it does not diminish the excellence of Russell’s strategy and driving skills.
Russell, in conjunction with his pitwall, made a daring decision to pursue an unlikely one-stop strategy, transforming what seemed like a potential fifth-place finish into a remarkable victory on the track.
This win, however, left teammate Hamilton slightly frustrated post-race, as he implied that the option for a one-stop strategy was never presented to him.
Immediately after the race, Hamilton told F1’s cameras: “Every stint, I had tyres left, but the team pulled me in….”
Further explaining in the official press conference, Hamilton expressed that he was ready to continue with his tyres during each of his stints, but the team intervened every time.
“If you listen [to the radio], you could hear what I said to the team most of the time,” he stated.
“But yeah, I believe the tyres were performing well. There was still plenty of life in them, and I was faster. I didn’t want to stop.”
Hamilton’s remarks suggested that there was a lack of parity between the two drivers, as he felt deprived of a strategy that his teammate effectively capitalized on.
George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
From Mercedes’ viewpoint, the varying strategies between the drivers were primarily due to their differing circumstances; Russell’s one-stop option arose from his lower position on the grid, allowing for more risk with less to lose.
Before the first pit stops, Russell was in fifth place, and as the front-runners switched to their hard tyres, it seemed he would follow the same course for the remainder of the race.
The performance gap between the cars was minimal, making it nearly impossible for him to climb the ranks.
However, as the hard tyres showed minimal degradation and Russell gained a two-second lead over Max Verstappen prior to the second round of stops, discussions arose about the necessity of another stop.
“It was quite a back-and-forth over three laps,” remarked Russell. “It becomes challenging when you feel something instinctive and need to trust that.
“But when every driver and team opts to pit for another strategy, and the data we gathered earlier suggested a one-stop wasn’t even close to feasible, it does make you second-guess if you’re overlooking something.”
“Like, why is no one else pursuing this? Yet, I felt at ease with the tyres and managed them well enough to benefit later on.”
Ultimately, as others completed their second and final stops, Russell found himself at the front, engaging in a battle to the checkered flag.
In contrast, Hamilton’s experience in the race was considerably different as he faced greater pressure from competitors behind him.
Charles Leclerc was within striking distance for an undercut, Oscar Piastri was gaining ground, and Mercedes was well aware by the second stops that McLaren suffered when Lando Norris had gone long initially, losing track position and getting caught behind a slower vehicle.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff later stated that while Hamilton felt confident about his tyre condition at the end of each stint, the decision to pit was about ensuring he could maintain position against Leclerc and a charging Piastri.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
Wolff explained: “As a driver, you lack the complete picture because Hamilton felt his tyres were good. But at that moment, no one viewed a one-stop strategy as viable. We needed to safeguard Hamilton’s track position against Piastri and Leclerc.”
“Everyone else followed a logical two-stop plan. The one-stop wasn’t in consideration. What we did with Lewis was entirely appropriate. Ultimately, George made his strategy work.”
This approach caught many off guard, including Wolff, who noted that if the one-stop had been a valid option, other teams would have likely advocated for it.
When Mercedes decided to diverge strategies, their analysis suggested that Russell could finish anywhere from first to fifth, making it not an obvious, guaranteed solution.
Additionally, there might have been an element of surprise regarding how significantly dirty air affected Hamilton’s chances of overtaking Russell in the final laps.
Mercedes also revealed that had Piastri been closer to threatening the lead at the end, they would have possibly instructed Russell to yield his position.
When asked about the possibility of team orders, Wolff responded: “Not through direct orders, but if we had one more lap, that might have been a thought to safeguard the win, resulting in Russell finishing P3. I’m glad we weren’t required to make that decision.”
As Hamilton reflects on the outcome, he likely recognizes that if Russell’s unexpected one-stop caused additional wear, leading to his car being underweight, he might have narrowly avoided a worse fate by adhering to the initial strategy, even if he felt discontented at the time.
