Formula 1 - Verstappen as Resistant - Russell's heartache
Predictable once again at the unpredictable Formula-1 Show, with George Russell's late disqualification as the apparent race winner, was just another display of dominance from three-time World Champion Max Verstappen. In a Red Bull car that had long been caught up by competitors like McLaren and Mercedes, Verstappen refuses to be diverted from his title path.
Verstappen takes advantage of setbacks like a grid penalty and outmaneuvers pursuers like Lando Norris, leading with a substantial 78-point cushion over the Englishman as they head into the summer break. Seven different race winners in the first 14 of 24 Grands Prix: Even the tense winner's roulette in this season is bearable for tenacious Verstappen.
Unhappy after the disqualification of his surprise victory in Belgium, Mercedes driver Russell lamented, "It breaks my heart to be disqualified from this race." After refueling at the finish, his Silver Arrow weighed in at only 796.5 kilograms, 1.5 kilograms under the minimum weight of a Formula-1 car.
Despite a bold one-stop strategy, Russell could only savor his triumph for around two hours as the race winner. After the race stewards' decision, Lewis Hamilton recorded his 105th career victory. "I feel sorry for George, and no one wants to win a race through a disqualification," Hamilton remarked.
Was it a tire loss for Russell?
"We can only apologize to George for driving such a strong race," said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff before the four-week racing hiatus. How did Russell's light weight come about? "We believe that the tire loss may have played a role in this, and we will work to understand how it happened," explained Chief Engineer Andrew Shovlin and pointed to the significant tire wear during a Grand Prix.
Verstappen and Red Bull are enjoying their holidays. In the past four races, he could no longer win. In this period, Mercedes claimed victory three times. In the World Championship standings, Verstappen can primarily threaten Norris from McLaren. However, Verstappen's frequent mistakes, such as in Spa-Francorchamps at the start, led to him finishing fourth, directly ahead of Norris. And that, despite Norris starting 11 places behind Norris.
Sky expert Ralf Schumacher recommended that the second-place Verstappen consult a mental trainer to build self-confidence and remain calm. Norris "urgently" needs to eliminate these small mistakes, or else his own teammate Oscar Piastri, who trails Verstappen by 110 points, will take his place.
McLaren faces a fundamental decision in the off-season: lifting the equal status of their drivers. The pursuit of Verstappen can only be won by one of the two. Scenes like in Hungary, where Norris reluctantly yielded first place to Piastri, should not be repeated.
Perez is on the brink at Red Bull
"We will speak in the summer break," McLaren CEO Zak Brown announced. If Piastri could support Norris without compromising his own race, "we will look into it."
For Verstappen, it doesn't matter who sits in Perez's backseat. The 26-year-old looks primarily at himself. The debate about Perez's possible early replacement by Daniel Ricciardo (35) of sister team Red Bull is of little concern to him. Perez once again disappointed as seventh place in Belgium. He could be replaced by Ricciardo during the summer break.
"That's not my problem," said Verstappen. "For me, it's about managing the damage with the car, which is likely not the fastest at the moment, and trying to get as close as possible every time." We'll know more in Formula 1 at the end of August in Zandvoort.
- Despite the disqualification of George Russell, Lando Norris from McLaren continues to trail Max Verstappen by a substantial margin in the Formula-1 World Championship standings.
- Amidst the excitement of Motorsport, Russell's disqualification at Spa-Francorchamp was a heartbreaking moment for the Mercedes-Benz driver and the Mclaren Group Limited.
- Max Verstappen and Red Bull have been consistently performing well in Formula-1 despite facing stiff competition from Mercedes and other teams.
- The disqualification at Spa-Francorchamp marked the second time this season that a driver from Mercedes was disqualified, highlighting the unpredictability of Formula-1 races.
- George Russell's disqualification also brought the total number of different race winners in the first 14 Grands Prix of the Formula-1 International season to seven.
- Mercedes-Benz team boss Toto Wolff expressed his sympathy towards Russell and expressed the team's plans to investigate the cause of the tire loss that led to the disqualification.
- Lewis Hamilton recorded his 105th career victory after Russell's disqualification, which marked a significant milestone in his successful Motorsport career.
- The disqualification of Russell at Spa-Francorchamp was a harsh reminder of the strict regulations and penalties in Formula-1, which can significantly impact the outcome of the races.
- Despite the challenges, Russell remains optimistic about his future in Formula-1 and is determined to bounce back from this setback, motivated by his passion for Motorsport and the Silver Arrow.
