As Mercedes departed from the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix, it was experiencing the thrill of what turned out to be a victory for long-time race leader Lewis Hamilton, coupled with the disappointment of losing George Russell’s on-track success. Russell’s one-stop strategy had initially seemed rewarding but ultimately fell short.
The prevailing speculation surrounding Russell’s W15 being underweight is featured in our typical post-race breakdown of significant talking points from each F1 event. This discussion at Spa encompassed not only the latest in the 2025 driver market but also the upcoming departure of Bruno Famin from his role at Alpine and early predictions regarding Mattia Binotto’s appointment at Sauber.
The race revealed the increasing challenges faced by Red Bull at the critical test track, raising questions regarding Lando Norris’ performance during race starts.
Here’s our selection of the key narratives emerging from Spa.
1. A costly blunder denies Mercedes a crucial result
Russell had crossed the line first but a DSQ cost him the result and Mercedes a 1-2
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Mercedes had expected some turmoil following its astonishing Belgian GP 1-2, as Hamilton, the long-time leader, was unexpectedly overtaken by Russell’s strategic gamble. Instead, Hamilton celebrated his 105th GP victory while Russell faced the “heartbreak” of a post-race disqualification.
The central theory regarding Russell’s car being 1.5kg underweight revolves around the unexpected wear on his tires during the race, potentially shedding “around 1kg” per tire, according to Pirelli motorsport head Mario Isola, which could have caused confusion in Mercedes’ pre-race weight estimates.
Team principal Toto Wolff later confirmed that his team had “clearly made a mistake.” This situation echoes Hamilton’s disqualification from second place at Austin last year, where Mercedes faced unexpected challenges due to insufficient practice data from the sprint race weekend.
The rainy conditions at Spa, coupled with the team’s swift decision to abandon its new floor setup after Friday, imply that a similar issue may have arisen this time.
2. Verstappen falls short of another Spa victory
Verstappen has charged from lowly positions to victory at Spa in recent years, but couldn’t do the same this year
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
For the third consecutive year, Verstappen began from a lower grid position at Spa after leading qualifying. However, unlike 2022 and 2023, he couldn’t return to clinch another victory in front of his passionate local supporters.
Moreover, with the competition gaining ground and the persistent issue of dirty air hampering overtaking—something F1 cars were expected to mitigate with this generation—alongside this year’s shorter DRS zone on the Kemmel straight, Red Bull had anticipated finishing in fifth place.
Ultimately, Verstappen managed to finish fourth after Russell’s disqualification. The expectation for Perez to at least reach the podium with the other RB20 was a significant aspect influencing Red Bull’s considerations for his F1 future.
Verstappen, however, was content to have increased his points lead over Norris by two to 78, while Red Bull remained 42 points ahead of McLaren following a notable swing towards the orange team.
“It was better to gain points than lose points,” Verstappen reflected afterwards. “Today could have gone either way, as he was very fast behind me. But I was also trying to catch those ahead.”
3. Norris may need to address his start performance
Norris again struggled in the opening 200m of an F1 race
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Norris had topped FP2 but expressed discomfort with his MCL38 on the long circuit. His rivals suspected McLaren had boosted engine power at that point, but the wet conditions on Saturday obscured the definitive pace picture for Spa.
Starting fourth, Norris was expected to advance smoothly in the dry race with a slimmer rear wing compared to the Ferraris and Red Bull (although less so against Mercedes).
Unfortunately, that did not unfold as planned. According to McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, “overtaking proved more challenging.” Norris found himself trapped in traffic and finished sixth on the track, ultimately classified fifth due to Russell’s DSQ. He admitted to “misjudging” his exit from Turn 1, which led to him clipping the gravel and losing momentum and three positions, expressing frustration over his “silly mistakes” during that phase.
“At Turn 1, I was trying to avoid trouble and ensure there was a gap while not getting hit, but then I ended up going off track,” he reflected.
Stella explained, “It appears statistically that Norris often faces difficulties during the early race stages, so we need to assess if this is a recurring issue or merely coincidental.” Considering Norris’s past struggles in Spain and Hungary stemming from lackluster starts, refining this aspect will be crucial for his potential title bid in the remainder of 2024.
4. Williams grows optimistic about signing Sainz
Sainz looks destined for the Williams seat after twists and turns in his saga of late
Photo by: Ferrari
Initially, Williams had braced for disappointment regarding its long pursuit of Carlos Sainz for 2025 after the Spaniard indicated he wanted to take more time before deciding on his future, especially in light of Alpine’s renewed interest and ongoing uncertainties at Red Bull and Ferrari.
However, in Belgium, Williams team principal James Vowles expressed a newfound optimism, stating he is “more than 50%” confident of securing Sainz to partner Alex Albon after renewed negotiations with the driver.
“I believe the odds are in our favor,” Vowles noted. “But I’ve been burned by this before, so we will see.”
Vowles anticipates finalizing Williams’s complete driver lineup for 2025 by the end of the week, with the impending F1 summer shutdown approaching next Monday. However, he denied granting Sainz an exit clause for 2026 that would allow him to leave for a top seat at Red Bull or Mercedes should they become available.
5. Drivers’ reactions to Audi’s Binotto appointment
A turbulent time at Sauber has seen Binotto enter the fray in preparation for Audi’s entry
Photo by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
The week between the Hungarian and Belgian races was significantly disrupted with Audi’s announcement of a major management change at the helm of its 2026 entry with the reimagined Sauber team.
At Spa, the topic was hotly debated among many drivers. For instance, Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg, who had agreed to join Sauber next year under previous team CEO Andreas Seidl and board chairman Oliver Hoffmann, expressed his surprise at the replacement of these figures by former Ferrari principal Mattia Binotto.
Despite being in “a bit of a shock,” Hulkenberg noted he was “not overly concerned” regarding possible instability at Sauber/Audi, deeming it as a positive development for improved management involvement.
On the other hand, Valtteri Bottas remarked that Binotto’s appointment would “reset” contract negotiations regarding his future with Sauber, which was echoed by teammate Zhou Guanyu. In a revealing statement, Sainz stated that Binotto’s addition to Sauber/Audi wouldn’t significantly impact his decision-making for next year, despite Audi’s long-standing interest in him—highlighting Williams’ newfound confidence.
Nevertheless, Sainz did not eliminate Sauber/Audi as a potential signing choice for many teams in 2025. Moreover, Bottas suggested that his future decisions might not solely depend on Sainz’s situation in the driver market, contrary to earlier beliefs.
6. Famin to step down as Alpine Team Principal
The Alpine revolving door is back in action with Famin standing down as team principal
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
During the team principals’ press conference at Spa last Friday, Alpine’s Bruno Famin announced that he would be stepping down. This comes amid speculation that Hitech GP’s Oliver Oakes is in line to take over operations at Enstone.
Famin continued to lead Alpine after taking the interim role when Otmar Szafnauer was dismissed at this event last year. He later advanced to become Alpine’s motorsport vice president in the summer of 2023 after initially overseeing Renault’s Viry-Chatillon engine division starting in 2022.
Famin will revert to that role as Renault prepares to transition Alpine into a customer F1 team.
“Stepping down as team principal at Alpine F1 will clarify things, and I can fully dedicate myself to the Viry-Chatillon activities starting September 1,” Famin stated.
7. Ocon’s move to Haas
Ocon is on his way to Haas for next season, where he will partner F2 graduate Bearman
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
This move had been anticipated, but the arrival of surprising suggestions regarding possible interest from Williams for his services in 2025 may have created some tension within his new team. Esteban Ocon was confirmed to join Haas for next season on the opening day of the Spa event.
Ocon has inked what Haas refers to as a “multi-year” agreement and will share the cockpit with F1 debutant Oliver Bearman in an entirely new lineup for 2025. With the team experiencing challenges in past seasons with two inexperienced drivers, team owner Gene Haas valued Ocon’s experience as an F1 race winner.
“When I first met with [Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu], he laid out his ambitious plans for the team’s future, which resonated with me,” Ocon remarked last Thursday.
Ben Hunt: Why Ocon will be a good fit for Haas
“Their objectives are realistic and unpretentious, reflecting an ethos I appreciate. Importantly, they have a solid plan for progressing from their current position, evident in their tangible improvements this year.”
As Ocon’s time at Alpine draws to a close, the future of his soon to be former team remains in flux
Photo by: Alpine
