Hamilton exit enabling Mercedes gloves-off approach claim

Lewis Hamilton's decision to depart Mercedes at the end of the season stopped the team from implementing team orders at the Belgian Grand Prix.

That is a claim made by former F1 driver, and F1TV analyst, Jolyon Palmer after witnessing the final stages of the race when Hamilton was chasing team-mate George Russell for the lead.

Russell brought himself into play by opting for a one-stop strategy and managed to fend off Hamilton for the win, only to be disqualified shortly after when his car was declared underweight.

The Mercedes duo were allowed to race for the victory in the closing laps, with Hamilton's pending switch to Ferrari labelled as a major factor behind the decision not to protect the 1-2 finish.

“As much as it’s a great team result, the team are in charge of both cars and to think you’ve been trumped on strategy by the other side of the garage is painful,” Palmer wrote in his column for F1.com.

“As it turned out though this was Russell who called the strategy, pushing hard to make it work and he was allowed to deliver on that. 

“The fact that Hamilton has chosen to leave the team this winter may well have played its part in the team allowing the duo to race it out as well, but it certainly gave us a grandstand finish.”

Palmer praises Hamilton Spa drive

Hamilton inherited the win when Russell was disqualified, marking his 105th career victory and his second in three races.

While Russell received praise for his tyre management, Palmer highlighted the significance of Hamilton's effort around the Spa-Francorchamps track.

“Russell rightly got the plaudits for a superb drive, soured by the disqualification, but it’s only right that Hamilton gets immense credit as well for delivering a top-tier performance when any one of six or seven cars could have won on another day,” he said.

“When I’ve lost a race I thought I had under control it’s so frustrating. 

“You go through the entire contest thinking you’ve got your rivals in check, only for someone never on your radar to pop up and beat you.

“When it’s your team-mate it must hurt that little bit more.”