Russell takes victory in Belgium; Hamilton and Piastri complete the podium

Charles Leclerc started from pole position and held his place at the first corner. Meanwhile, Sergio Pérez and Lewis Hamilton battled for second place, with Hamilton overtaking the Red Bull driver. Just behind, Oscar Piastri and George Russell were competing for positions, with Piastri gaining ground and Norris losing two positions to Carlos Sainz, the only one who started on hard tires.

Max Verstappen quickly moved up from 11th to 8th, setting a notable lap time. Hamilton overtook Leclerc on the Kemmel straight on the third lap, taking the lead. Pérez began experiencing car issues, allowing Piastri to pass him on lap 10.

Nico Hulkenberg made the first pit stop on lap 8, followed by the two Williams drivers on lap 9. On lap 11, Russell and Verstappen pitted for tire changes, followed by Hamilton, Pérez, and Piastri on lap 12. This allowed Ferrari to take the top two positions with Leclerc and Sainz.

On lap 20, Sainz pitted from the lead, dropping to eighth place. Pérez also lost positions after his stop, falling to eighth after being passed by Russell. Leclerc made his second stop on lap 25, staying close to Hamilton, who pitted the next lap.

Piastri temporarily led until his pit stop on lap 31, dropping to fourth. On lap 36, Piastri overtook Leclerc to take third place. The battle between the Mercedes drivers for the lead intensified on lap 41, with Hamilton unable to pass Russell.

Russell held the lead and won the race, followed by Hamilton and Piastri. Leclerc finished fourth, followed by Verstappen and Norris, with Sainz in seventh. Pérez, despite his issues, set the fastest lap on the penultimate lap and finished eighth. Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon completed the top ten positions. The next race after the summer break will be the Dutch Grand Prix, scheduled for August 25.