The critical calls behind Russell's standout qualifying lap

A maiden Formula 1 podium is special, but George Russell will never forget exactly how his came about on a controversial Belgian Grand Prix weekend. Regardless of the outcry over the 'race' behind the safety car, the Williams driver and his team deserve considerable praise and recognition for the smart strategy and bold decisions they took in qualifying

Alex Kalinauckas Aug 30, 2021, 10:25 AM

Upd: Aug 30, 2021, 11:37 AM

Russell’s first Formula 1 podium came in utterly bizarre circumstances at the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix. But it was ultimately his reward for delivering arguably the best driving of the Spa weekend the day before in qualifying.

The session was wet from the start – with Q1 delayed by 12 minutes to allow the FIA to assess the track conditions, a paltry hold-up compared to what was to follow on Sunday. When it did get going, Russell’s Williams squad sent the Briton and teammate Nicholas Latifi out on intermediates. This was an “aggressive” decision, per Williams’ head of vehicle performance Dave Robson, designed to "get the drivers’ confidence up" on the compound that would be crucial to gaining a high grid placing.

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Author Alex Kalinauckas

Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.