The 2024 Belgian Grand Prix (officially known as the Formula 1 Rolex Belgian Grand Prix 2024) was a Formula One motor race that took place on 28 July 2024 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot, Belgium. It was the fourteenth round of the 2024 Formula One World Championship.
Max Verstappen set the fastest time in qualifying, but was relegated to eleventh following a grid penalty, with Charles Leclerc inheriting pole position in his place. George Russell of Mercedes initially won, but was disqualified after the race because his car failed to meet the minimum weight requirement. Following his teammate's disqualification, Lewis Hamilton inherited the victory, his second of the season and his last for Mercedes before his move to Ferrari, ahead of Oscar Piastri of McLaren and Charles Leclerc of Ferrari.
Russell became the first race driver to be disqualified from first for 30 years after Michael Schumacher was disqualified at the 1994 edition of the event.
Background
The event was held at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot for the 57th time in the circuit's history, across the weekend of 26–28 July. The Grand Prix was the fourteenth round of the 2024 Formula One World Championship and the 69th running of the Belgian Grand Prix as a round of the Formula One World Championship.
Championship standings before the race
Going into the weekend, Max Verstappen led the Drivers' Championship with 265 points, 76 points ahead of Lando Norris in second, and 103 ahead of Charles Leclerc in third. Red Bull Racing, with 389 points, led the Constructors' Championship from McLaren and Ferrari, who were second and third with 338 and 322 points, respectively.
Entrants
The drivers and teams were the same as the season entry list with no additional stand-in drivers for the race.
Tyre choices
Tyre supplier Pirelli brought the C2, C3, and C4 tyre compounds (the middle three in their range), designated hard, medium, and soft, respectively, for teams to use at the event.
Track changes
The DRS zone leading in to turn 5 was shortened by 75 metres (246 ft).
Practice
Three free practice sessions were held for the event. The first free practice session was held on 26 July 2024, at 13:30 local time (UTC 2), and was topped by Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing ahead of Oscar Piastri of McLaren and Alexander Albon of Williams. The second free practice session was held on the same day, at 17:00 local time, and was topped by Lando Norris of McLaren ahead of his teammate Piastri and Verstappen. The third free practice session was held on 27 July 2024, at 12:30 local time, and was topped by Verstappen ahead of Piastri and Pierre Gasly of Alpine. Further running was curtailed due to bad weather conditions. The session was suspended earlier as Lance Stroll crashed his Aston Martin at Raidillon, damaging his front-left suspension and front wing.
Qualifying
Qualifying was held on 27 July 2024, at 16:00 local time (UTC 2).
Qualifying classification
Notes
- ^1 – Max Verstappen received a ten-place grid penalty for exceeding his quota of internal combustion engine components.
- ^2 – Yuki Tsunoda was required to start the race from the back of the grid for exceeding his quota of power unit elements.
- ^3 – Zhou Guanyu received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Max Verstappen in Q1. He gained a position as per Yuki Tsunoda's penalty.
- ^4 – As qualifying was held on a wet track, the 107% rule was not in force.
Race
The race was held on 28 July 2024, at 15:00 local time (UTC 2), and was run for 44 laps.
Race report
George Russell, who started fifth, initiated a one-stop strategy in which he held off his teammate Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri to cross the line in first. However, he was disqualified following the race, as his car was 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) under the 798 kg (1,759 lb) minimum weight. Hamilton inherited the win, which was the 105th of his career, with Piastri being promoted to second and Charles Leclerc, who had finished fourth before Russell's disqualification, being promoted to third, which marked his first podium finish since his win at the Monaco Grand Prix. Championship leader Max Verstappen finished 4th, extending his lead over Lando Norris, who finished fifth, to 78 points. Carlos Sainz Jr. and Sergio Pérez, the latter starting second following a spell of mediocre qualifying results, finished 6th and 7th respectively, with Fernando Alonso claiming 8th. Esteban Ocon finished 9th, scoring his first points since the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix, with Daniel Ricciardo taking his final career point with tenth. Zhou Guanyu was the only driver who retired from the race following a hydraulics failure.
Race classification
Notes
- ^1 – Includes one point for fastest lap.
- ^2 – George Russell finished first, but was disqualified as his car was found to be underweight.
Championship standings after the race
- Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
See also
- 2024 Spa-Francorchamps Formula 2 round
- 2024 Spa-Francorchamps Formula 3 round
Notes
References
External links
