The Grand Prix in Belgium brought plenty of excitement, and plenty of talking points. From George Russell’s early retirement to Antonelli fighting Leclerc for the win, there are lots of highlights from Sunday’s race. Here are the most important ones from a Grand Prix that saw Antonelli take victory ahead of Leclerc and Verstappen.
- Russell’s DNF
- Mercedes driver George Russell had his race ended on Lap 1 of the Belgium Grand Prix after a collision with his former teammate Lewis Hamilton sent him on a trip through the gravel. This incident ended Russell’s race, one in which he was potentially in the fight for a win. Though the collision first appeared to just be a racing incident, Hamilton was later given a five-second time penalty for the accident, though it didn’t affect the Ferrari driver’s race too much. In fact, fourth in the race was enough for Hamilton to surpass Russell in the Championship Standings, and it’s becoming clear that the Mercedes man has been notably lacking the pace his younger teammate Kimi Antonelli has been showing. The 8-time World Champion may only be 5 points ahead, but if Russell can’t improve and challenge his teammate more directly, we could start seeing the gap increase.
- Charles Leclerc’s Eventful Race
- Leclerc started the race only fourth on the grid, but he was eventually able to be in the position to challenge for the race win with Kimi Antonelli. The Ferrari driver actually led the race for a time after overtaking Lando Norris, who was on old hard tires. Eventually Antonelli was able to speed past with 10 laps left in the race, and Leclerc was unable to attack any further. Leclerc also found Oscar Piastri on track, with the pair actually making contact as Piastri attempted an overtake. The McLaren driver complained that Leclerc had not left enough space, but the stewards ultimately decided to let Leclerc go without a penalty. All in all, it was another positive race weekend for Ferrari and Charles in particular, though the Monegasque is still well behind his teammate in the Standings, with Russell in between the pair.
- Isack Hadjar’s Drive from 21st
- Hadjar was one of the many drivers to face a grid drop this race due to the use of multiple additional power unit elements, and his was the biggest, with a 30-place penalty forcing him to start 21st. The Red Bull driver used a unique tire strategy, where he made use of the safety car to pit early before boxing again shortly after. What looked like an odd choice at first played out wonderfully, and though a third stop was needed to keep his tires in good condition, it ultimately helped him end the race P6, well in the points. Isack Hadjar has been an impressive driver all season long, and Red Bull are slowly regaining momentum and collecting more points. They might still be in fourth and 44 points behind third-placed McLaren, but if they continue to perform and consistently get a driver on the podium, like Verstappen was in this race, they could become a larger threat.
- Alpine vs. Racing Bulls
- We know that Alpine and Racing Bulls are locked in a tight battle for best of the rest, but after this race the battle only got tighter, with the two teams all tied up with 61 points each. Neither team managed to get double points this time around, but the younger drivers Arvid Lindblad and Franco Colapinto were the ones to bring home ninth and tenth for Racing Bulls and Alpine respectively. While Lindblad had a mediocre race, Colapinto did have some stand-out moments, most notably his two-in-one overtake on Pierre Gasly and Liam Lawson. The Argentine was able to maintain tenth and secure the final point. Now all eyes have turned to Budapest, where the race will determine which team leads going into summer break.
- Cadillac and Aston Martin Still Having Troubles
- Cadillac, as a new team, is understandably still getting their footing in Formula 1, and they certainly have bumps along the way. Sergio Perez was forced to retire from the Grand Prix on Lap 13 due to a rear suspension issue, while his teammate Valtteri Bottas ultimately finished the race in 18th. Cadillac is also the only team yet to score points, though they looked set to secure one in Monaco before Perez suffered from a penalty that dropped him down the order and gave the point to Aston Martin instead. However, this is Cadillac’s first year in F1, and they’ll gain more experience and knowledge so that they’ll only come back stronger. If they don’t get their first point this season, it’s sure to happen the next. However, Aston Martin is the team that is a little more concerning. Often behind Cadillac in qualifying and the races, the team is desperate for the change, and next weekend they just might get one. Aston Martin is expected to bring big upgrades to Hungary, which they’re hoping will boost them up to at least challenge teams like Audi and Williams. We’ll have to wait and see how things play out.
