Red Bulls' damage control leads to unemployment
The Belgian Grand Prix produces a whole series of exciting stories: In Spa-Francorchamps, George Russell wins but then ends up empty-handed. Sergio Perez, on the other hand, heads straight for unemployment. And defending champion Max Verstappen experiences his toughest drought in years.
Mercedes makes "clear mistake"
It was supposed to be a perfect Sunday, but then the drama. George Russell lost the win hours after crossing the finish line because his car weighed less than the required minimum of 798 kilograms. That meant no double victory for the Silver Arrows since November 2022. "We clearly made a mistake," said team boss Toto Wolff.
Still, Lewis Hamilton could celebrate his 105th Grand Prix win thanks to his teammate's disqualification. The Silver Arrows surprised and outperformed in the race. Russell outsmarted his rivals with a one-stop strategy - the very same one that might have cost him: The tires, worn down significantly during the long race, were lighter than usual. Mercedes' resurgence is evident, and it bodes well: They have won three of the last four races.
Max Verstappen's bitter drought
The champions are struggling and have some explaining to do during the summer break. Red Bull's Dutch driver had to start from 11th place due to an engine change, but finished fourth. The dominance is gone. "From our side, it was damage control," Verstappen said in the Sky interview. He had won the Belgian Grand Prix overlegedly in 2022 and 2023, despite a penalty. For the rest of the season, Verstappen must be more cautious than ever, even as he tries to stay positive: "I was behind Lando, he's my championship rival." His path to title defense could still get tougher. Additionally, Verstappen hadn't gone four races in a row without a win since 2020.
Norris crashes under pressure
The Brit was among the favorites but was completely flat on Sunday. He made a mistake in the first turn and spun out, damaging two tires in the gravel trap - position losses included. "I just didn't want to be hit, kept a big distance, and came off the track," he said. It was an unnecessary error. Norris finished fifth, despite starting fourth. If he wants to challenge the race leader in the remaining ten Grands Prix, he must quickly correct such errors. Above all, because it could bring him a number-one status at McLaren. CEO Zak Brown remains calm. "He'll be grumpy about this error, but makes few mistakes and has many good moments," said the American.
Piastri annoys Red Bull even more
The Australian put in a calm and solid performance - but was actually also a contender for the top step on the podium. Did he think he could catch Mercedes? "Yes, honestly I did," Piastri said. In the end, he lacked the speed. Nevertheless, he was happy with the result after his Formula 1 debut win in Hungary and was also in good form in Spa. He was "happy with the result," and he had "managed the race well" with the team. Together with Norris, he could still pose a significant threat to Red Bull in the fight for the Team Championship. After Russell's penalty, he was classified as second.
Sergio Perez drives himself out of a job
The Mexican put in a lackluster performance and was ultimately let go.
The Mexican is as close to being out at Red Bull as ever. "Sergio had the opportunity to finish well from second place, but unfortunately that didn't happen," said motor racing advisor Helmut Marko. The 34-year-old has been in a slump for weeks now - his qualifying at Spa was initially a bright spot. In the end, Perez could only manage seventh place. "He completely fell apart in the last stint," Marko added. According to rumors, Perez could lose his cockpit as early as Monday. Red Bull needs a more reliable driver to win the constructor's championship again. Marko continued: "Our situation is such that we will have to go through the overall situation for 2025 as well." Theoritically, Yuki Tsunoda or Daniel Ricciardo are available from the sister team Racing-Bull.
Despite the struggles of Mercedes and Max Verstappen, Formula 1 continues to captivate audiences. Lewis Hamilton clinched his 105th win following George Russell's disqualification due to a weigh-in issue, but Verstappen still managed a fourth-place finish after starting from 11th. This marked a rare drought for the Red Bull driver, who hadn't gone four races without a win since 2020.
Meanwhile, Ferrari (Formula-1) has been making headlines with their new driver lineup. Despite Piastri's solid performance and challenge for the podium, the team has yet to secure a victory this season, adding to the pressure for both the team and the new drivers.
