Well, the Summer Break is finally upon us. But, before we whack out the flip flops and the sun loungers, do you fancy reading one more F1 Race Review? You do? Perfect.
I know we are pretty used to the Belgian Grand Prix taking place after the Summer Break but, as with 2023, its presence graced us before hand, giving us another thrilling spectacular to keep us all talking about the sport during it's downtime.
Strategy was one of the bigger talking points throughout the 44 laps around Spa-Francorchamps, with all three tyre compounds being represented on the starting grid. Carlos Sainz, in the Ferrari, would be going long on hards, with Daniel Ricciardo and his VCARB going short on softs. Everyone else donned the mediums. Despite this, pit stops would be triggered early on, with Nico Hulkenberg attempting the undercut, which once again proved to be as effective as ever, as shown by Max Verstappen, as he struggled to fly threw the field after starting in 11th. He would go on to jump Sainz, George Russell and Lando Norris.
Elsewhere, Russell and his Mercedes team would try to make the most of their strategy, opting for a one stop that would have F1 viewers all over the world biting their nails in anticipation for a late race shoot out for the win. Ultimately, this would come down to Russell versus Lewis Hamilton, with Oscar Piastri closing in on the Mercedes duo after his wheel to wheel battle with the pole-sitter, Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. However, despite Russell's tyres being over 30 laps old, the Brit would hold on, managing them in ways that are difficult to do on a track like Spa. He crossed the line in first position, ahead of Hamilton and Piastri, to take only his third win over the course of his short Formula One career thus far. Unfortunately, in typical F1 fashion, Russell's win was short lived, with the Mercedes car found to be under the mandatory weight limit, meaning instant disqualification and his win being passed over to his teammate; Hamilton. Regardless, for Russell it was an impressive driver that earned him the nickname of "Tyre Whisperer," and will keep fans and media alike talking about it for some time.
Whereas Russell was having one of the races of his life, the same is far from true for Red Bull's Sergio Perez. And, with his F1 future hanging in the balance, Perez NEEDED to perform well over the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. After a qualifying session that would see the Red Bull driver put his car on the front row, things unraveled quickly over the course of the race. In between battery problems and DRS trains, Perez would loose out when having to pit early to avoid holding up his teammate; Verstappen, any longer than he needed to. He would go from 2nd to 8th in 44 laps, causing varied criticism over several media outlets and platforms. Luckily for him, come Monday it looked as if Red Bull had decided to continue with him going into the final half of the season. Here's to hoping he can find his form once again. Especially as McLaren continue to barrel down on Red Bull in the Constructors Championship.
Long time F1 fans may be used to seeing the Safety Car one, two, maybe three times throughout a Belgian Grand Prix. In 2024, it was zero times. That's right, everyone behaved, trusting each other as they raced wheel to wheel through some of the most notorious corners on the F1 calendar. However, despite this, one DNF was indeed recorded in this particular Belgian GP. It's early on in the race and the Sauber of Zhou Guanyu is moving ever so slowly through sector two into three. After a bit of "control, alt, delete," he get's going again before coming into the pits to retire due to a mechanical problem, making a tough and pointless season for Sauber even worse.
Elsewhere on track, there was hardly a lap that by without any battles. At the start, Norris would find himself being pushed wide, onto the gravel, as he jostled for position with those around him. He would repeat this feat of touching the gravel several times throughout the course of the race, giving McLaren fans, old and young, a slight heart palpitation or two. Alexander Albon, in the Williams, was another who fought hard come lights out, finding himself noted for the "leaving the track" and "gaining an advantage." No investigation was deemed necessary. And, what about Hamilton? An early race battle with Leclerc saw the Mercedes driver show a decent pace on the medium tyre, as he overtook the Ferrari for the lead on Lap 3. The biggest talking point, however, came in the final laps, with several battles ongoing throughout the top ten. Of course, there was the battle for the lead between Russell, Hamilton and Piastri, but there was also a battle for points between Leclerc, Verstappen, Norris, Perez and Sainz. A beautiful sight, when you think about it. Has Formula One finally returned to it's former glory? Time will only tell.
With a few weeks to go until the Dutch Grand Prix - which I'll be missing so there will be no review, sorry! - there is plenty of time for drivers, teams, fans etc to relax and recharge the batteries for, what is yearning to be, an exciting, nail biting, tense and adrenaline filled second half of the season! Oh, it's all so exciting!
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