He played the joker George Russell and he was right. Masterpiece of the young English driver who won the Belgian Grand Prix with only one stop. Sprint finish with a double win Mercedessecond Lewis Hamilton who after a great race was unable to pass his teammate in the final. Podium for Oscar Plates who pays for a small uncertainty in his second pit stop. Charles Leclerc starting from pole after having challenged Hamilton for the win throughout the race, he gave in towards the end but finished fourth, holding off Verstappen e Norris. Seventh Carlos Sainz in front of Perez.
BELGIAN GRAND PRIX – Leclerc gets off to a good start from pole and holds out for the entire first fast section. Behind him Hamilton burns Perez while Norris is still sleeping at the start and is also passed by Sainz (the only one to start with hard tyres), 6th. Verstappen begins his comeback: in the first two laps he overtakes Ocon, Albon and Alonso and gets behind Norris.
On lap 3 it’s already a Ferrari duel of the future, Hamilton has more and paints Leclerc’s Ferrari to take the lead. Lewis has a great pace but Charles stays in his slipstream. The first 8 of the 4 big teams go together within about ten seconds.
The first to stop after 10 laps are Russell and Verstappen himself; then it’s Hamilton, Piastri, Perez and Russell. Leclerc is a lap late, risks the undercut but finds a precious ally in Stroll who slows down the train of Perez, Piastri and Russell. Charles thus returns calmly behind Hamilton. With Sainz taking the lead of the race and Piastri giving another blow to Perez’s pride.
Sainz stops on lap 20, rejoins 8th. Hamilton and Leclerc return to the front. Russell breaks the ice and passes Perez who, in crisis, makes his 2nd pit stop on lap 22. The move destabilizes everyone a bit. Hamilton and Leclerc play in advance with the 2nd pit stop, Piastri stays on the track and flies but at the moment of the tire change he goes wide almost hitting the mechanic with the “lollipop”. Lewis and Charles rejoins behind.
But in front there is Russell who tries to go to the finish line with a single stop. Hamilton catches up with him lap after lap. But the one who suffers the most is Leclerc who collapses in the final and has to give up the podium to Piastri. Heart-stopping final with Hamilton who catches up with Russell dragging Piastri along. But Lewis never manages to stick to Russell to take advantage of his slipstream and DRS and George completes his masterpiece in front of his teammate and the McLaren. Leclerc ends up at the foot of the podium in front of Verstappen and Norris. Sainz seventh in front of Perez. Alonso also in the points.
Source: sport.virgilio.it
