Italian journalist Umberto Zapelloni, the former Sports and Motor Editor of the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera, recently shared his views on the TV show Race Anatomy regarding George Russell and Mercedes’ winning strategy in the Belgian Grand Prix, while also criticizing Ferrari. Despite a brilliant one-stop strategy employed by George Russell at the 7.004-kilometer Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the British driver was disqualified from the race as his car was found to be under the minimum weight limit, ultimately promoting his teammate Lewis Hamilton to first place and giving a podium finish to Charles Leclerc for Ferrari.
Andrew Shovlin, Trackside Engineering Director, later explained the factors contributing to the weight discrepancy, including tire wear, the underfloor ‘plank,’ and even George Russell’s weight loss during the race.
Umberto Zapelloni highlighted George Russell’s courage in sticking to his tires and Mercedes’ willingness to take risks, contrasting this with Ferrari’s more cautious approach with Carlos Sainz. Zapelloni emphasized that Ferrari missed the opportunity to make a bold move with Sainz, ultimately settling for a sixth-place finish.
Looking back, it’s clear that Ferrari could have benefitted from a more daring strategy, which Mercedes successfully implemented with George Russell, as pointed out by Zapelloni.
Aug 2, 2024
Let other Scuderia Fans know about us
