It seemed like George Russell and Mercedes had pulled off one of many boldest tactical calls of the season as he eked out his second set of tyres and held off his staff mate to attain victory within the Belgian Grand Prix.
On the face of it, Russell had mugged the competitors by making a one-stop technique work. Not least as a result of he made his sole pit cease sooner than anybody else among the many high 4 groups made their first of two, except for Max Verstappen, who adopted Russell in.
On the face of it, any of these different six drivers had been higher positioned than Russell to make a one-stop technique work as a result of their second units of tyres had been brisker. This was truest of all for Lando Norris, who took his unique set of medium tyres longer than anybody else, pitting on lap 15.
If anybody might make a one-stop technique work, certainly he might? And McLaren had each motivation to attempt it: A poor begin turned fourth on the grid for Norris to seventh within the opening stint. By lap 28 Verstappen was already in for his second cease and Norris’ likelihood to undercut his title rival was gone.
At this level, if McLaren thought a one-stop technique was reasonable, it was the time to danger it and depart Norris out. They introduced him in.
What did McLaren know that Mercedes didn’t? In all probability nothing: Slightly, it appears each had been working at the hours of darkness and one was prepared to danger extra. Neither staff had run the arduous tyre in follow on Friday, and with the monitor rubbering-in shortly each had been not sure precisely what to anticipate from it.
After the race McLaren staff principal Andrea Stella mentioned Mercedes’ name had taken “braveness”. But when it seemed like McLaren had performed it too protected, that each one modified when Russell was disqualified. The stewards discovered his automobile was underweight and Mercedes recommended they’d underestimated how a lot weight his tyres would lose over that 34-lap last stint, three laps longer than anybody else’s.
Advert | Develop into a RaceFans supporter and
McLaren due to this fact deserve the good thing about the doubt for steering away from the one-stop technique. Nevertheless they did enable Norris to be undercut by Verstappen on the first spherical of pit stops regardless of understanding they’d the luxurious of yet another set of arduous tyres than their rivals, which ought to have allowed them to be extra aggressive. The possibility to undercut Verstappen disappeared earlier than their second stops as Pink Bull tactically pitted Sergio Perez early, putting him in Verstappen’s pit window, understanding they may safely deliver their lead automobile out behind the second Pink Bull however McLaren couldn’t danger the identical for Norris.
Norris’ benefit over Verstappen vanished quickly after the beginning because the McLaren driver misplaced three locations by operating into the gravel at La Supply. Nevertheless the staff ought to have been in a position to make sure he saved forward of the motive force he most wanted to take factors off.
Based on Stella, McLaren’s choice to deliver Norris in later got here from their expectation brisker tyres would make overtaking simpler. However with tyres degrading much less severely than anticipated, and with a shorter DRS zone on the Kemmel straight, this wasn’t the case.
Sarcastically McLaren, who loved a one-two end on the Hungaroring every week earlier, had been undone by the identical error their rivals Pink Bull made with their technique in that race, by anticipating brisker tyres would allow considerably simpler overtaking.
Advert | Develop into a RaceFans supporter and
2024 Belgian Grand Prix lap chart
The positions of every driver on each lap. Click on identify to spotlight, right-click to reset. Toggle drivers utilizing controls under:
Advert | Develop into a RaceFans supporter and
2024 Belgian Grand Prix race chart
The gaps between every driver on each lap in comparison with the chief’s common lap time. Very massive gaps omitted. Scroll to zoom, drag to pan and right-click to reset. Toggle drivers utilizing controls under:
2024 Belgian Grand Prix lap occasions
All of the lap occasions by the drivers (in seconds, very sluggish laps excluded). Scroll to zoom, drag to pan and toggle drivers utilizing the management under:
Advert | Develop into a RaceFans supporter and
2024 Belgian Grand Prix quickest laps
Every driver’s quickest lap:
Advert | Develop into a RaceFans supporter and
2024 Belgian Grand Prix tyre methods
The tyre methods for every driver:
Miss nothing from RaceFans
Get a each day e mail with all our newest tales – and nothing else. No advertising and marketing, no advertisements. Enroll right here:
2024 Belgian Grand Prix pit cease occasions
How lengthy every driver’s pit stops took:
Rank
#
Driver
Workforce
Full cease time (s)
Hole to finest (s)
Cease no.
Lap no.
1
3
Daniel Ricciardo
RB
22.328
2
21
2
4
Lando Norris
McLaren
22.61
0.282
2
29
3
81
Oscar Piastri
McLaren
22.623
0.295
1
11
4
11
Sergio Perez
Pink Bull
22.632
0.304
3
42
5
3
Daniel Ricciardo
RB
22.643
0.315
1
8
6
11
Sergio Perez
Pink Bull
22.648
0.32
2
21
7
4
Lando Norris
McLaren
22.682
0.354
1
15
8
63
George Russell
Mercedes
22.686
0.358
1
10
9
11
Sergio Perez
Pink Bull
22.692
0.364
1
11
10
44
Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes
22.704
0.376
2
26
11
10
Pierre Gasly
Alpine
22.844
0.516
2
28
12
10
Pierre Gasly
Alpine
22.9
0.572
1
9
13
16
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
22.942
0.614
1
12
14
1
Max Verstappen
Pink Bull
22.943
0.615
2
28
15
77
Valtteri Bottas
Sauber
22.949
0.621
2
35
16
18
Lance Stroll
Aston Martin
23.01
0.682
1
12
17
14
Fernando Alonso
Aston Martin
23.075
0.747
1
13
18
55
Carlos Sainz Jnr
Ferrari
23.08
0.752
1
20
19
55
Carlos Sainz Jnr
Ferrari
23.089
0.761
2
28
20
23
Alexander Albon
Williams
23.146
0.818
2
23
21
77
Valtteri Bottas
Sauber
23.147
0.819
1
11
22
44
Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes
23.188
0.86
1
11
23
1
Max Verstappen
Pink Bull
23.214
0.886
1
10
24
27
Nico Hulkenberg
Haas
23.268
0.94
2
20
25
16
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
23.33
1.002
2
25
26
2
Logan Sargeant
Williams
23.338
1.01
1
8
27
31
Esteban Ocon
Alpine
23.366
1.038
1
12
28
22
Yuki Tsunoda
RB
23.452
1.124
1
15
29
31
Esteban Ocon
Alpine
23.546
1.218
2
30
30
27
Nico Hulkenberg
Haas
23.562
1.234
1
7
31
23
Alexander Albon
Williams
23.606
1.278
1
8
32
20
Kevin Magnussen
Haas
23.619
1.291
1
17
33
2
Logan Sargeant
Williams
23.692
1.364
2
24
34
81
Oscar Piastri
McLaren
24.125
1.797
2
30
2024 Belgian Grand Prix
Browse all 2024 Belgian Grand Prix articles
