Hamilton eyes Schumacher’s report

Lewis Hamilton returns to one in all his favorite circuits for the twentieth consecutive yr this weekend in pursuit of a victory for Ferrari to equal Michael Schumacher’s report six Belgian Grand Prix wins.

After ending third behind triumphant Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc and fellow-Briton George Russell of Mercedes at his house British GP two weeks in the past, the seven-time world champion is about to bid for an eighth.

Italian teenager Kimi Antonelli, who reeled off a report 5 straight ‘maiden’ wins earlier this yr, leads the title race for Mercedes on 179 factors, after 9 races, 25 away from Russell and 32 in entrance of Hamilton.

However the precocious 19-year-old has failed to attain in two of his final three races whereas Ferrari have discovered resurgent type and sudden energy to attain wins for every driver within the final three outings. His as soon as luxurious lead of 66 factors has halved.

“Reliability points have price us factors,” admitted Mercedes workforce chief Toto Wolff.

“In a championship as aggressive as this, it is one thing we can’t afford. There is no worth in having tempo if we don’t get the outcomes.”

Antonelli suffered an agonising race on the majestic Spa circuit, set within the Belgian Ardennes forest, final yr. He certified nineteenth, began from the pit lane and completed a tearful sixteenth throughout a tough spell in his rookie season.

Nonetheless, he skilled related disappointment on the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix, the place he was lapped twice and completed 18th, earlier than turning that on its head this yr.

He was gloriously triumphant and dived into the harbour to rejoice his fifth consecutive win.

If his automobile is dependable, and Mercedes get better their energy and straight-line pace benefit, he and Russell would be the males to beat, however Hamilton, with all his expertise and his rediscovered vim, will likely be a contender, as will four-time champion Max Verstappen.

‘Tough’ 

Hamilton would possibly have already got the report for Belgian wins if it had not been for some wretched luck up to now, notably in 2008 when he completed first in teeming rain however was stripped of his win by a controversial post-race 25-second sanction.

This time, he will likely be 18 years’ wiser and hoping Ferrari’s renaissance, notably their straight-line pace, can carry him into the combat for victory.

However that goes too for Leclerc and Purple Bull’s Verstappen if he has regained belief in his automobile.

The Dutchman, for whom Belgium is a second ‘house’ race -– his mom is Belgian and he was born in Belgium — the place he’s all the time backed loudly by his ‘orange military’, goals so as to add to his three earlier wins.

However he departed Silverstone cursing a failed rear wing on his automobile for a second time.

After a disappointing house race in Britain, champions McLaren additionally must show a degree.

Oscar Piastri received final yr forward of team-mate and defending champion Lando Norris, one other son of a Belgian mom, with Leclerc, winner in 2019, third.

Power administration will as soon as once more be a problem on a power-hungry high-speed circuit with quick straights and sweeping corners, usually vulnerable to dramatic modifications of climate resulting in dramatic races.

“It may very well be tough with the constraints on the straight, however traditionally, now we have finished effectively right here,” mentioned a hopeful Verstappen. “So, let’s see and hope for the perfect.”