Race Report & Results 2024 Belgian F1 Grand Prix
Event: Belgian Grand Prix
Track: Spa-Francorchamps Circuit
Weather: dry 21.1°C
Tarmac: dry 41.5°C
Humidity : 49%
Wind : 9.7 km/h South
Lewis Hamilton won his 104th F1 race at the 2024 Belgian F1 GP today. The Mercedes driver started from P3 and won on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit for the fifth time. It was his 1st win of the season. The Mercedes team scored their 128th race win.
2024 Belgian Grand Prix: A Rollercoaster Race at Spa
The 2024 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps delivered a dramatic race filled with unexpected turns and strategic gambles. Despite a promising start, Charles Leclerc, who began on pole for Ferrari, was quickly overtaken by Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, setting the stage for a thrilling contest.
Early Surprises and Strategies
Hamilton showcased his mastery, seizing the lead from Leclerc early on. As the race unfolded, tire degradation became a pivotal factor. The high levels of tire wear observed on Friday suggested a two-stop strategy, but warmer conditions on race day allowed for more flexibility. This opened the door for bold strategic plays.
Mercedes' Strategy Gamble
Mercedes split their strategies, a move that would later become a key talking point. George Russell, starting from sixth, opted for a daring one-stop strategy, while Hamilton adhered to a more conventional two-stop. Russell's decision to push his tires to the limit paid off, allowing him to take the lead in the latter stages of the race.
Piastri's Strong Performance
Oscar Piastri of McLaren also had an impressive race, securing his fourth podium of the season. Despite a slightly botched final pit stop, which cost him crucial seconds, Piastri managed to finish third, showcasing his growing maturity and racecraft.
Hamilton's Frustration and Russell's Triumph
Hamilton, who regained the lead after the first round of pit stops, saw his victory hopes dashed by Mercedes' strategic call to cover Leclerc. This decision ultimately left him behind Russell on track, and with overtaking proving difficult, Hamilton had to settle for second place.
Disqualification Drama
In a shocking turn of events, Russell, who crossed the finish line first, was later disqualified due to his car being under the weight limit. This handed the victory to Hamilton, adding another layer of complexity to the race's narrative. Piastri was promoted to second, while Leclerc rounded out the podium in third.
Team Radio Insights
Team radios provided fascinating insights throughout the race. Hamilton expressed frustration over the strategy that saw him lose the lead, while Russell's excitement at his apparent victory was palpable. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff praised both drivers but acknowledged the tricky balancing act of managing split strategies.
Looking Ahead
With the summer break now in effect, teams and drivers will have time to recharge before the next race at Zandvoort. The first half of the season has been unpredictable, with multiple race winners and shifting dynamics. As the championship battle heats up, fans can expect more thrilling races in the latter half of the season.
The 2024 Belgian Grand Prix will be remembered for its strategic intrigue, unexpected disqualification, and the fierce competition among top drivers. As teams head into the summer break, the championship remains wide open, promising more excitement and drama in the races to come.
Classification 2024 Belgian F1 GP
P | No | Driver | Team | Time | Laps | Grid | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 01:19:57.566 | 44 | 3 | 25 |
2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0 laps | 44 | 5 | 18 |
3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0 laps | 44 | 1 | 15 |
4 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0 laps | 44 | 11 | 12 |
5 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0 laps | 44 | 4 | 10 |
6 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | +0 laps | 44 | 7 | 8 |
7 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull | +0 laps | 44 | 2 | 7 |
8 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +0 laps | 44 | 8 | 4 |
9 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | +0 laps | 44 | 9 | 2 |
10 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Racing Bulls | +0 laps | 44 | 13 | 1 |
11 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +0 laps | 44 | 15 | 0 |
12 | 23 | Alex Albon | Williams | +0 laps | 44 | 10 | 0 |
13 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +0 laps | 44 | 12 | 0 |
14 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | +0 laps | 44 | 17 | 0 |
15 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | +0 laps | 44 | 14 | 0 |
16 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | +0 laps | 44 | 20 | 0 |
17 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | +0 laps | 44 | 18 | 0 |
18 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas | +0 laps | 44 | 16 | 0 |
DNF | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | Brakes | 5 | 19 | 0 |
DSQ | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | Weight | 44 | 6 | 0 |
George Russell, Mercedes #44, Disqualified - Technical non-compliance
Fastest lap: 1:44.701 on lap 44 @240.822 min by Sergio Pérez, Red Bull RB20
2024 Belgian F1 GP Results |
FP1 2024 Belgian F1 GP |
FP2 2024 Belgian F1 GP |
FP3i 2024 Belgian F1 GP |
Quali 2024 Belgian F1 GP |
Start grid 2024 Belgian GP |
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A tragedy for George. So sorry
A good day for Max, mission accomplished, as for King George, before he got Disq,after the Lucy looked like she was sucking a lemon and whining about his tyres, and Torger looked like his lesser loved offspring had won the race, now itll be full of how good loobyloo was, thank feck for the break
If you dont like f1 then why coment on the race
Because a keyboard warrior like shoddypost just doesn't know when to keep quiet.
Shoddy, did you take my advice and show your insulting posts and anti LH name calling to a family member? Hopefully they might be able to tame your LH hate.
we need some sort of world tour ranking of all team-driver league.
Poor George - what was missing from George's car that made his car underweight from Hamilton's car. Good luck next race George
Believe it or not the weight loss was caused having worn out tyres Lol.what next.
Replace Race Engineer with Ai probably
i thought no marble pick up on in lap due to low deg
Devastating for George. HAM was not at all happy for George immediately after the finish, childish petulant, like Norris was last week.
When are we going to get drivers with old fashioned values accept your wins and losses with good grace. That seems to have disappearred.
No lap for cool down didn't have the usual pick up of discarded rubber might have made all the difference.
Heartbreaking for George. He was the one who suggested one stop. Then drove brilliantly.
I don’t believe so. While some pickup can melt into the tire surface, the majority doesn’t and the scrutineers rub it off before weighing. Even if they didn’t, it wouldn’t weigh enough.
if thats the case , why do the teams tell the drivers to pick up rubber on in lap?
Wouldn’t quite a call it a tradition because the weight does have some modest merit, but no chance it accounts for the 1.5kg
you cant have it both ways , tradition or not , and the scrutineers rubbing it off ? lol anyway a quick google search tells us varying amounts of weight from other fans from 1kg to 5kg so still anyones guess
Empathy for King George. He drove well and conserved his tyres to enable a one stop tactic and be first across the line. However, his win was erased because of a weight anomaly, which was outside his control and poorly managed by the team.
IMO greatest drive was by Oscar Piastri. He made some fantastic passing manoeuvres on highly fancied drivers, and with another few laps would have probably won the race! So near and yet so far!
Good driving all round, the race had everything and best of all no SC affecting the outcome. Of the top drivers only Perez was a let down down, what a waste of a great car.
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