As the first part of the 2024 season reached its conclusion, Spa-Francorchamps delivered a classic rollercoaster of weather, serving up a wet qualifying and a dry race day. With the summer break now upon us, find out who ended on a high and who limped off to lick their wounds:
Top of the class:
Lewis Hamilton – Qualifying: 4th (started 3rd) | Race: 1st (finished 2nd)
A post-race disqualification always leaves a sour taste, especially for Mercedes, who were eyeing a delicious 1-2 finish before Russell’s DSQ (more on that later). A win is a win, even though Hamilton did not get to grace the top step during the podium ceremony.
But just because Hamilton inherited this win did not mean he did not deserve it, as he certainly drove his socks off. The seven-time champ was in top form all weekend. Out-qualifying Russell and shooting off and slipping past Sergio Pérez at the start, before reeling in Charles Leclerc. Hamilton only surrendered the lead later in the race due to Mercedes’ curveball strategy, opting for a one-stopper with Russell (George’s own bright idea) that put Russell ahead.
After a two-and-a-half-year wait to taste victory again, Hamilton has now bagged two wins in the past three rounds. Not too shabby.
Oscar Piastri – Qualifying: 6th (started 5th) | Race: 2nd (finished 3rd)
Oscar Piastri is on a cracking run, scoring his third podium in four races with a stellar drive at Spa. The Aussie was clearly buoyed by his win in Hungary.
It was a nail-biter to see if he could overtake Hamilton at the end, but a 4.4-second pit stop might have cost him the victory as he couldn’t close the gap before the chequered flag waved. Still, crossing the line third and being promoted to second after Russell’s DSQ isn’t half bad. It means that he’s beating teammate Lando Norris for the second race in a row.
His P2 ensured McLaren’s streak of podiums continued to 10 and slashed the gap to Red Bull to 42 points heading into the summer break.
The honourable mention of the day goes to George Russell.
George Russell would have topped this list if he’d kept the win, but his disqualification made me consider demoting him to the struggle bus. However, his gutsy style deserves recognition.
Insisting on a one-stop strategy was a bold move that initially paid off as he crossed the line first. But unfortunately that same approach most likely led to his disqualification. The stewards found his car just 1.5kg short, likely due to the lack of a cool-down lap at Spa, as his threadbare tyres could have picked up some rubber on the way home.
The struggle bus:
Sergio Pérez – Qualifying: 3rd (started 2nd) | Race: 7th (finished 8th) +FL
At this point, everyone but the die-hard Checo fans are scratching their heads about why he’s still at Red Bull. Marko and Horner have never been shy about cutting loose underperformers – just ask Albon and Gasly, who were booted before they even unpacked.
But Pérez? He’s underperforming race after race, and it makes you wonder how much the Mexican sponsors are shelling out to keep him in that seat.
Qualifying P3 and then lining up on the front row after grid penalties shuffled the order, Pérez looked like he might finally justify his place as Verstappen’s wingman.
You’d think Pérez could at least finish ahead of his teammate with an advantage like that. Nope. Max breezed through to P4 while Checo meandered to P8, which only became P7 thanks to Russell’s DSQ. Oh, and he snagged the fastest lap – a small consolation for what was otherwise a dismal weekend. Red Bull expected so much more, and honestly, so did we.
Williams
Alex Albon – Qualifying: 11th | Race: 12th (finished 13th)
Logan Sargeant – Qualifying: 19th | Race: 17th (finished 18th)
Williams looked like they might surprise us all after a strong FP1, but that was as good as it got, as quickly became evident during qualifying on Saturday.
On Sunday, we had hope yet. Albon had a decent start, grabbing a couple of spots and even tussling with Fernando Alonso, who ended up scoring points for Aston Martin. But as the race wore on, Albon’s pace fizzled out quickly.
The team’s been lagging in the upgrade department, partly thanks to a hefty repair bill from earlier in the season. That’s left them trailing their midfield rivals in terms of performance. Albon’s P13 – bumped to P12 post-race – was the best Williams could muster. It’s their second race in a row without points, and it’s starting to look bleak.
Dishonourable mention of the day goes to Lando Norris.
McLaren rolled into Belgium with high hopes, especially with Verstappen taking a grid penalty. But while Piastri shone with a second-place finish, Norris was almost invisible. Despite topping the timing sheets in FP2, he looked off the pace for most of the weekend.
Norris’s tough start to the race left him scrapping to regain positions he had already earned in qualifying, leaving him to eventually cross the finish line sixth, out of sight of the podium.
P5 (which he got bumped up to thanks to the DSQ for Russell) might be his best finish at Spa, but that’s little comfort when you start ahead of Verstappen and still end up behind him. The gap in the drivers’ standings just got wider, and it’s not the kind of summer send-off Norris would have wanted.
Now, the drivers and teams get a well-deserved break for their summer holidays. They can finally kick back and relax, much needed after a gruelling first half of the season.
The second half kicks off in the dunes of Zandvoort at the end of August, where the Orange Army will be out in full force, ready to welcome their hometown hero Max Verstappen in a cloud of orange smoke. Lights will be going out on the 25th of August at 2pm UK time.
