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

George Russell reckons his lost 2024 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix victory was a better drive than his Las Vegas domination because of how in the former he held off Lewis Hamilton’s charge.

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

The younger Briton then held on through the tense finale as the seven-time world champion and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri arrived at his rear end for the closing laps.

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Then, with the Mercedes W15 performing well against the year’s best cars in what was another weekend of cool temperatures in Vegas, Russell won commandingly from pole.

But, when Autosport asked him which performance he was most proud of at the 2024 Abu Dhabi season finale, Russell picked Spa.

This was even though he lost that result for his car/driver post-race weight total coming in 1.5kg under the minimum allowed in F1’s rules – a situation to which Russell held some blame as he had known his weight was down on what it should have been when he climbed aboard his W15.

“Spa was definitely the best drive without doubt,” Russell explained.

“Because Vegas – probably those first 12 laps were probably the best 12 laps I've ever done in an F1 race and from there on in, it was effectively just bring the car home and don't grain the tyres and we'll win this race.

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

Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

“But Belgium was a proper fight. It was a roll of the dice [on strategy].

“I knew I couldn't make a single mistake, especially when it came to those last two and three laps.

“Lewis was in DRS, I had to nail the first corner because the run was so long to Turn 5 and knowing you can't be too conservative because he's on fresh tyres and he will just breeze past, I can't lock up and make a mistake because he'll breeze past, and just knowing exactly how hard you can push.

“That was a drive I'll forever be proud of.”