Hamilton wins Belgian GP following Russell disqualification

Lewis Hamilton claimed his second win the Belgian Grand Prix, but only after teammate George Russell was disqualified from first place due to a technical infringement.

The race at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit was characterized by varying tyre strategies which led to an intriguing battle throughout the 44-lap event.

Race Dynamics

Hamilton, starting from third on the grid, made a strong start, swiftly passing Sergio Perez and pole-sitter Charles Leclerc in the opening laps.

The seven-time world champion then controlled the pace at the front, executing a two-stop strategy along with most of the frontrunners.

Russell, meanwhile, opted for a surprise one-stop strategy that initially appeared to pay dividends.

He managed his hard tyres expertly in the latter stages of the race, crossing the finish line first, narrowly ahead of Hamilton and a fast-charging Oscar Piastri.

Verstappen's Recovery

Reigning world champion Max Verstappen delivered a stellar recovery drive from 11th on the grid, a result of an engine-change penalty.

The Dutch driver quickly carved through the midfield, showcasing the Red Bull's raw pace.

He ultimately finished fifth, successfully defending against McLaren's Lando Norris in the closing laps.

Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez, however, endured a challenging afternoon. Starting from second, the Mexican gradually fell back through the field, struggling with tyre management and overall pace.

His eighth-place finish, later promoted to seventh following Russell's disqualification, will likely increase pressure on his position within the team.

McLaren's short fall

McLaren's performance at the Belgian Grand Prix fell short of the high expectations set by their recent form.

Oscar Piastri initially finished third before being promoted to second due to George Russell's disqualification.

Lando Norris, widely expected to be a strong contender, faced a challenging race.

After losing positions at the start, he fought back to finish sixth, later promoted to fifth.

While maintaining his consistent point-scoring form, Norris's result was significantly behind his main rival Max Verstappen, falling well short of McLaren's expectations.

Ferrari's Mixed Results

Charles Leclerc, who started from pole position, couldn't convert his qualifying pace into race victory.

The Monegasque driver finished fourth on the road, later promoted to third.

His teammate Carlos Sainz, employing an alternative strategy starting on hard tyres, managed to salvage seventh place, later upgraded to sixth.

Midfield Battles

Fernando Alonso secured points for Aston Martin with an eighth-place finish, while Esteban Ocon rounded out the top ten for Alpine.

Daniel Ricciardo, in his second race back with RB, narrowly missed out on points, finishing 11th and showing improved form compared to his return race.

The sole retirement of the day was Sauber's Zhou Guanyu, who stopped early due to a hydraulics issue.

Post-Race Drama

The real drama unfolded in the hours following the race.

During post-race scrutineering, Russell's Mercedes was found to be 1.5kg under the minimum weight requirement after the extraction of the mandatory fuel sample.

The stewards' report stated: "Car 63 was weighed on the FIA inside and outside scales with both scales showing the same result of 796.5 kg.

The calibration of both scales was confirmed and witnessed by the competitor."

This infringement led to Russell's disqualification, promoting Hamilton to the win and shuffling the rest of the field up one position each.

The result sees Hamilton close the gap to Carlos Sainz in the drivers' championship, now trailing by just 12 points in the battle for fifth place.

Russell's disqualification drops him to eighth in the standings, a significant setback in what had been a strong season for the British driver.

In the constructors' championship, Mercedes' mixed fortunes allowed Ferrari to close the gap in their battle for second place behind the dominant Red Bull team.