Follow Mail Sport's live blog of the 2024 Formula One Belgian Grand Prix for the latest lap-by-lap updates and leaderboard as Red Bull look to fight recent McLaren resurgence.
By SONNY COHEN, ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
Updated: 11:45 EDT, 28 July 2024
So it was ultimately George Russell's strategy call and tyre management that won out today.
He managed to hold off Lewis Hamilton in the closing stages to claim his best career win so far.
Elsewhere, Max Verstappen stretched his lead at the top of the world drivers' championship as he held off Lando Norris.
Formula 1 will now head into a three week summer break before returning at Zandvoort.
Thank you for joining us and we hope to see you again for the next Grand Prix.
In the meantime, you can read Henry Clark's full repor here
George Russell and Lewis Hamilton combined for the first Mercedes one-two since Sao Paulo in 2022.
It was much the same on that day as George Russell led the way for the Silver Arrows.
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Speaking to Sky Sports following the race Toto Wolff spoke about the upgrades brough to Belgium and the decision to two-stop Lewis Hamilton:
'On friday we really wasnt competive we was expecting best case podium but the team worked really hard and it was good on one stop and good on two stops.
Overnight, our chief engineer figured out what it was and it worked.
'We changed the floor, what we realised overnight we saw we had a mechanical issue.
'We had to cover Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris because we would have been undercut but George had nothing to lose as the one stop and the two stop had him P5.
'George was very good today and Lewis was very good today, they both did a fabulous job and I would have likedto have had two winners today.'
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It was an incredible drive from George Russell who provided a masterclass in tyre management.
But it was an equally frustrating race for Max Verstappen who could only manage a fifth placed finish.
DNF - Zhou Guanyu
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Lewis Hamilton: 'We didn't expect this, congratulations to George and the team, we had such a disaster on friday, the car was nowhere but the car was fantastic today and we owe it to everyone here and back in the factory
'George did a great job of going long on the tyres, every stint i still had life left in the tyres but I was brought in
'If we can continue this type of performance and start our weekend off better, we can keep pushing.'
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It is a strategy masterclass from GEorge Russell.
He stated sixth on the grid today, and his one stop has seen him hold on for a race win.
Lewis Hamilton just didn't have enough to get past his team-mate.
A one-two for Mercedes to finish the first part of the season.
Oscar Piastri finishes in third to round out the podim
Max Verstappen has finished fifth three times in the last four races and his grid penalty did him no favours. Here is what he had to say:
'We just got stuck in the DRS train and we did the best we could becase we knew we were stuck in the corner with the tyres.
'After the first stint I was nine seconds off the lead and I stayed there, if I started the race in pole maybe it was different and I could have compete for the race win.
'But I took the penalty and my race was all about damage limitation.
'Sometimes Mercedes, sometimes McLaren they are ahead of us, we know we have a lot of work to do.
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Lando Norris cut a frustrated figure as he spoke to Sky Sports following his sixth place finshed saying:
Strategy was good, in the end whoever undercut the most won the race.
We did what we thought was best, but with hindsight undercut was the right thing but the pace in the car was good.
Dirty air costs you so much and I was always in the diry air, when I did get into clean air the car felt good.
From the team side super happy but I feel like the last couple of races I have meseed up a lot
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George Russell: 'Aazing result, we didn't predict this win in the strategy meeting this morning but the car felt amazing and I thought I could have done a one stop.
'I was focusing a lot during the race but it was a team effort, we rolled the dice but it was only possible because the pace was there.
'Three wins in six, I want another race next weekend to be honest.'
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'Clean air was scuh a big difference today, I managed to get a nice tyre delta for the last stop but clearly didn't need that as George [Russell] showed.
'That is the second or third time this year I have run over the front jack so I will try not to do that anymore.
'It took me a couple of laps to get past Charles [Leclerc] and I really overheated the tyres doing that. we didn't have enough pace to run them down.
'It has been a good couple of weeks for myself and the team and we have made inroads on Red Bull and that is massive.'
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It's all very close among the top three.
Oscar Piastriis inside two seconds to Lewis Hamilton who is srtuggling to overtake George Russell.
Could the race between the two Mercedes be playing into the hands of Osscar Piastri.
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Lewis Hamilton has cut the gap to the to his team-mate George Russell to under half a second.
The only directive so far from the team has been to give each other plenty of space.
It lookslike Hamilton is going to have to take the place on the track without team orders/
Key Updates
'We had to cover Charles Leclerc' - Toto Wolff
'We can keep pushing' - Lewis Hamilton
Lap 44 - George Rusell wins the Belgian Grand PRix
Lap 11 - Verstappen into the pits