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Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton leisurely led the pack for another lights-to-flag victory at the Formula 1 Rolex Belgian Grand Prix last Sunday, as Ferrari had one of their most dismal races of the season.
The afternoon started off on a sombre note as the drivers paid homage to F2 driver Anthoine Hubert who died in an accident at the circuit last year and Hamilton dedicated his pole lap to late actor Chadwick Boseman who passed away on Saturday.
As the lights went up, Hamilton was quick off the pole comfortably leading team mate Valtteri Bottas and primary competitor, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, throughout the 44 laps.
After the race, Hamilton commented: “Spa (-Francorchamps) is such a special circuit, I could just drive around here for lap after lap. The first lap can be a nightmare, because of the huge tow down the big straight, but I managed to keep Valtteri behind me on lap one and from there I had a strong race.”
With the three pulling ahead, AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly surprised everyone by taking fourth place early and pulled off some exceptional driving before finishing at P8, earning the fans’ votes for Driver of the Day.
Renault had a phenomenal day, with David Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon finishing fourth and fifth. Ricciardo, the Honey Badger, managed to snag an extra point for fastest lap.
Perhaps the most nail-biting moment of the race was when Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi repeated history with an accident, much like last year’s Belgian Grand Prix, this time collecting Williams’ George Russell, ending the race for both of them.
Russell said: “It is frustrating, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and there was nothing we could do. I went to the left to avoid Antonio’s car and then his wheel came from nowhere and hit the front of my car which pushed me into the wall. It was quite a big impact, but I am okay. I feel very fortunate to have the halo on the car as it could have gone quite near my helmet.”
Meanwhile after their worst qualifying result, Ferrari continued their tradition of headless chickens running the pit lane as bad strategy and terrible tyre management ensured that Charles Leclerc was unable to get past P8 and Sebastian Vettel never broke the top 10. Vettel and Leclerc finished at P13 and P14, respectively.
Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto rued: “On a track that requires aerodynamic efficiency and power, we were severely lacking in both. We are disappointed and angry, as indeed are our fans and with good reason.”
Hamilton continues to lead the championship standings with 157 points, followed by Verstappen (110 points) and Bottas (107 points). Mercedes leads the constructor championship with 264 points, followed by Red Bull Racing Honda (158 points) and McLaren Renault (68 points).
The Italian Grand-Prix takes place on Sunday in Monza.
