George Russell stole the spotlight from ‘perfect’ Lewis Hamilton achievement at Spa for Jolyon Palmer

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George Russell getting disqualified from his Belgian Grand Prix win for his Mercedes being underweight stole the headlines from a ‘perfect’ feat by Lewis Hamilton at Spa.

The Silver Arrows hit F1’s summer break with mixed feelings as their mistake denied Russell a win but returned P1 to Hamilton in the Ardennes forest. It appeared certain that the latter would take to the top step of the podium at Spa before the former’s strategy gave him glory.

Hamilton controlled much of the Belgian GP with his two-stop strategy after taking the lead from Charles Leclerc after three laps. But Russell going off-piece and urging Mercedes to let him do a one-stopper saw the 26-year-old hold on and take the chequered flag in first place.

George Russell’s disqualification overshadowed Lewis Hamilton’s ‘perfect’ Belgian GP

But Russell’s glory was short-lived as the stewards found his Mercedes was underweight, so disqualified the Briton. His W15 was 1.5kg under the minimum weight limit of 798kg due to a raft of factors including the extra tyre wear from a one-stopper, brake wear and plank wear.

Russell also lost more weight during the Belgian GP than Mercedes expected, with a normal expectation being around 3kg. But Jolyon Palmer thinks the drama that unfolded at Spa with the disqualification saw Russell steal the spotlight from Hamilton producing a ‘perfect’ race.

READ MORE: Mercedes driver George Russell’s life outside F1 from net worth to height

Hamilton enthralled Palmer with how the 39-year-old came from third on the grid to get past Sergio Perez into La Source. The seven-time F1 champion reacted to the red lights going out faster than any other driver at 0.25 seconds. He then ran faultlessly once past Leclerc on L3.

Palmer told F1’s website: “The reprieve for the Silver Arrows is that Lewis Hamilton is back on top form and delivered a consummate drive in the other car to save face for Mercedes, and ensure that while Russell was disqualified the team still walked away with [the] victory.

“Had Russell not gone bold and brilliant with his strategy, the talk would very much be about Hamilton executing his own perfect drive, in very different fashion.”

George Russell had to try a different strategy to improve his result at Spa

Palmer is certainly right to praise Hamilton for producing a ‘perfect’ drive in the Belgian GP, and the Mercedes star fully deserved his fifth win at Spa. He got an ideal launch by reacting quickest to get the jump on Perez and stop the Red Bull driver from covering the inside line.

His start proved vital as Hamilton was then in the ideal position to attack pole-sitter Leclerc for the lead. If Russell did not then go off-piece and try a one-stop strategy, Hamilton would have won the Belgian Grand Prix with his Mercedes teammate likely only finishing in just P6.

READ MORE: Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton’s life outside F1 from net worth to family

But in that alternative universe, Oscar Piastri might not have gone deep in his box when the McLaren driver made his second pit stop. The 23-year-old ultimately finished the Belgian GP just 0.647 seconds behind Hamilton, a smaller margin than the time the Australian had lost.