Why Russell ranks his misplaced Spa F1 win above his 2024 Vegas domination

George Russell reckons his misplaced 2024 Components 1 Belgian Grand Prix victory was a greater drive than his Las Vegas domination due to how within the former he held off Lewis Hamilton’s cost.

Russell’s mid-race swap to a one-stop technique meant he cycled to the lead at Spa when his Mercedes team-mate Hamilton had led convincingly on the traditional two-stopper.

The youthful Briton then held on via the tense finale because the seven-time world champion and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri arrived at his rear finish for the closing laps.

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Then, with the Mercedes W15 performing effectively towards the 12 months’s greatest vehicles in what was one other weekend of cool temperatures in Vegas, Russell gained commandingly from pole.

However, when Motorsport.com requested him which efficiency he was most happy with on the 2024 Abu Dhabi season finale, Russell picked Spa.

This was despite the fact that he misplaced that consequence for his automotive/driver post-race weight complete coming in 1.5kg below the minimal allowed in F1’s guidelines – a state of affairs to which Russell held some blame as he had identified his weight was down on what it ought to have been when he climbed aboard his W15.

“Spa was undoubtedly one of the best drive doubtless,” Russell defined.

George Russell, Mercedes F1 W15, Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W15

Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Photos

“As a result of Vegas – in all probability these first 12 laps had been in all probability one of the best 12 laps I’ve ever performed in an F1 race and from there on in, it was successfully simply carry the automotive residence and do not grain the tyres and we’ll win this race.

“However Belgium was a correct battle. It was a roll of the cube [on strategy].

“I knew I could not make a single mistake, particularly when it got here to these final two and three laps.

“Lewis was in DRS, I needed to nail the primary nook as a result of the run was so lengthy to Flip 5 and realizing you’ll be able to’t be too conservative as a result of he is on recent tyres and he’ll simply breeze previous, I can not lock up and make a mistake as a result of he’ll breeze previous, and simply realizing precisely how exhausting you’ll be able to push.

“That was a drive I will ceaselessly be happy with.”