Russell bags Belgian GP win; Australia’s Piastri third
George Russell kept Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton behind to win the Belgian Grand Prix following a thrilling finale at Spa-Francorchamps.
Hamilton looked set to follow up his victory at Silverstone three weeks ago with another visit to the winner’s enclosure after he assumed the lead of the race on lap three of 44.
But Russell, who started sixth, had other plans after he adopted a bold one-stop strategy to outfox his rivals and claim just the third win of his career.
Russell crossed the line a mere half-a-second ahead of Hamilton with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri backing up last week’s trmendous victory at the Hungararian GP with a superb third place, just six tenths behind the runner-up.
Ferrari pole-sitter Charles Leclerc took fourth place.
Max Verstappen started 11th following an engine penalty and crossed the line in fifth, one place ahead of a disappointed Lando Norris, to extend his championship lead over the British driver heading into Formula One’s four-week summer shutdown.
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