George Russell says a number of Formula One drivers are "probably a bit fed up" of governing body FIA.

The Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), which Russell is the director for, put out a statement after the last race in Brazil to raise concerns about multiple issues.

The GDPA asked president Mohammed Ben Sulayem to "consider his own tone and language", having previously punished Max Verstappen for using bad language at a press conference.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's Las Vegas Grand Prix, Russell confirmed the FIA had yet to respond to the letter as he expressed further disappointment.

"We recognise everybody's working as hard as they can to do the best job possible," Russell told reporters. "There is obviously a huge amount of change within the FIA quite regularly, so it's clearly not the most stable of places. 

"And maybe that's why it's been a bit challenging to get some of the changes that we've wanted implemented. Of course, everyone has their own side to their own story. 

"I think if we feel that we're being listened to and some of the changes that we are experiencing, requesting, are implemented, because ultimately we're only doing it for the benefit of the sport, then maybe our confidence will increase.

"But, I think there's a number of drivers who feel probably a bit fed up with the whole situation. And it only seems to be going in, to a degree, the wrong direction."

Russell also said he and his fellow drivers were not aware of race director Niels Wittich being removed three races before the season ends.

"Talking as a fellow driver as opposed to my role with the GPDA, everybody felt with certain things that have happened that we wanted to stand united," he said.

"At the end of the day, we just want to be transparent with the FIA and have this dialogue. And the departure of Niels is a prime example of not being part of these conversations. [The letter] is kind of us putting the pressure back on them."

Lewis Hamilton insisted that he had no doubts that Mercedes team-mate George Russell would race cleanly in their battle at the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday. 

Hamilton finished the race in fourth, one place ahead of Russell, the seven-time world champion's best finish since winning the Belgian Grand Prix back in July. 

The pair started fifth and sixth respectively, but swapped places on the opening lap, before Russell regained the initiative on Lap 14.

They each moved up a place through the pit stop phase, with Max Verstappen losing ground by serving two 10-second penalties, and Hamilton then closed in on Russell.

Hamilton shadowed Russell before eventually making the move stick into Turn 1 on Lap 65, climbing up into fourth position.

“It’s pretty straightforward, I don't think either of us are silly,” Hamilton said on his battle with his team-mate.

“George is really smart, and is fair, and he's just really good at where he places his car, and I think for me too.

"So when [the team] comes on the radio and says, keep it clean, it's like, ‘of course.’

"It's not really different to when you're fighting anyone else, except for it is your team mate, so you have to be double careful because you both want to finish.”

“It was fun, I had fun today,” Hamilton added. “I had a good start, I had a really bad first stint, took too much front wing out of the car, I had massive, massive understeer.

“After my stop, I was able to rectify it, and then after that I had a much better pace, and I was able to push and keep going.

"We stopped a little bit early as well, compared to what I had planned and stuff. We got good points.”

Hamilton will, however, hope to do better in Brazil this time around, having scored more points (185) than any other driver on the current grid around the Interlagos circuit. 

Russell, meanwhile, ensured Mercedes claimed a double top-five finish and was happy with his finish after crashing in FP2 on Friday. 

“I mean the pace looked pretty strong in the first stint but when I came out the pits behind Piastri, I pulled out down the straight and my front left flap just collapsed,” Russell said.

“I hit this bump so that probably cost me three or four tenths for the remainder of the race, so it was tricky to hold on for 40 laps. P5, probably would have taken that after Friday.”

Lewis Hamilton admits he has become accustomed to trailing Mercedes team-mate George Russell after struggling in qualifying for the Mexico City Grand Prix.

Hamilton qualified in sixth for Sunday's race, one place behind Russell despite the latter reverting to an older floor for his W15 car following a crash in Friday's practice.

The seven-time drivers' champion trailed his team-mate by almost three tenths of a second and has now only beaten him in qualifying five times in 20 races this year.

Speaking to Sky Sports F1 following the conclusion of qualifying, which saw Carlos Sainz snatch pole position ahead of title contenders Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, Hamilton admitted he had struggled all year.

"I'm losing all the time, that's why I've been so bad in qualifying all year," Hamilton, who sits sixth in the drivers' championship standings, said. 

"It's a normal thing and I'm used to it. We have done everything. We worked so hard in the background, like everyone does, to get the car in a nice place.

"It was feeling good in final practice, so we were like, 'let's not touch anything or do anything'. All we changed was the rear wing and it's just a drastic difference.

"Every time I get to qualifying, the car is completely different. I can't pinpoint why, but it is what it is." 

Mercedes had switched to an older iteration of their car floor after both drivers struggled at last week's United States Grand Prix, with Russell now on an even older edition following his crash in second practice.

"Maybe George is more comfortable on the older package," Hamilton said. "I don't know, we'll see. We'll get a good reading of which is best."

Kimi Antonelli is relishing the opportunity of filling the "big seat" left by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes for the 2025 Formula One season. 

Antontelli was officially confirmed as Hamilton's successor in August and will race alongside George Russell next year for the German-based team. 

In obtaining a seat on the grid for the upcoming season, the 18-year-old will be the first Italian driver in the competition since Antonio Giovinazzi raced for Alfa Romeo in 2021. 

Antonelli sits sixth in the drivers' championship standings in Formula Two, winning at Silverstone and the Hungaroring in July for Prema Racing. 

He then made his debut in FP1 at the Italian Grand Prix for Mercedes, and after setting the fastest time on his first lap, crashed out on his second time around the Monza track. 

That raised questions about Mercedes' decision to replace the experience of Hamilton with the youth of Antonelli, though the latter is focused on enjoying the ride in F1. 

"Well, for sure, I'm taking a big seat," Antonelli told Stats Perform at Festival dello Sport in Trento, Italy. 

"Obviously, I don't feel like I'm replacing him because he's been such a big figure, and he still is a big figure in the sport.

"So yeah, of course, it's an important seat, the one I'm taking, but I just see that I will take a Mercedes seat for next year, and I'm just going to enjoy the ride."

Throughout his career, Antonelli has been supported by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, who offered some guidance to the teenager following a tough qualifying session at Silverstone – a weekend in which he went on to take his debut victory in F2.

"Well, I feel I'm very lucky to be with him. I will consider him like a second father for me," Antonelli added.

"He's always been there in the difficult moments and, of course, in the great moments.

"He's such a great supporter, and I'm really happy because next year, of course, is going to be a big year for me.

"I have a lot of things to learn and to have his support, but also the support of the whole team is going to be really important, and I'm really looking forward to that."

Antonelli will line up alongside Russell, who came through the ranks in F2 before joining Williams in 2019, and the youngster believes he can learn a lot from his soon-to-be team-mate.

"I haven't talked much with him because, obviously, he's very busy, he has a really tight schedule even during weekends, so I don't really want to bother him as well, but he's a really good driver, really fast, and I'm happy to have him next year because I can learn a lot from him," Antonelli said.

"I can learn especially on race pace because he has had good races as well, he's really good at managing the tyres, he also has speed and quality, so he's a pretty complete driver.

"It's good because next year I can learn a lot from him, and yeah, he just gave me a few pieces of advice but not much because, as I said before, he's pretty busy, and I don't really want to bother him."

Red Bull would be "foolish" not to consider an approach for George Russell when his Mercedes contract expires next year, says team principal Christian Horner.

While three-time world champion Max Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until 2028, the poor form of team-mate Sergio Perez has cast doubt on their lineup.

Perez started 2024 with four podium finishes in his first five races, but he has since endured a run of 13 outings without a top-three finish to slip to eighth in the drivers' championship.

Russell is set to become Mercedes' lead driver for 2025 when Lewis Hamilton joins Ferrari, but with the Silver Arrows' team principal Toto Wolff repeatedly talking up the possibility of moving for Verstappen, his long-term future is in doubt.

With Russell's contract expiring after next season, Horner says Red Bull could swoop for him to fill a "gap" between their current drivers and those coming through their academy.

"We've got a gap now but we just want to take time to consider what those options look like for the future," Horner told Sky Sports F1.

"And we're not afraid to go out of the pool. You know, George Russell is out of contract at the end of next year. It would be foolish not to take that into consideration.

"There are other talented drivers that could well be out of contract as well."

Russell claimed his second F1 race win in Austria earlier this year and currently sits seventh in the drivers' standings, 11 points ahead of Perez.

Horner's comments on Russell were put to Mercedes boss Wolff, who accused his counterpart of "stirring".

"He is always stirring s*** up on his part," Wolff said. "It's part of the game.

"George is a Mercedes driver, has been forever and hopefully will be forever. He has a long contract with the team."

The Silver Arrows endured a frustrating outing at last weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, Hamilton finishing fourth and Russell sixth after early difficulties with the team's split strategy. 

Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton endured a "frustrating" Singapore Grand Prix having failed to build on their impressive showing in qualifying.  

Hamilton started one place ahead of his team-mate in third, but the Silver Arrows' split strategy proved costly during the gruelling 62-lap race. 

The seven-time world champion gambled by starting on the soft tyres but was unable to get away with the runaway front two of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. 

Russell, however, elected to start on the favoured medium tyre, but Hamilton's decision arguably held up his Mercedes team-mate in the opening stint. 

The pair finished fourth and sixth respectively, with Hamilton overtaking the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc late on to move to 174 points in the drivers' championship. 

“After a very difficult Friday, we would have likely taken P4 in the Grand Prix,” Russell said.

“Our pace in qualifying, however, made us believe we could achieve more.

"Today was no doubt a difficult race for us, both challenging in terms of our pace but also physically.

“The McLarens were very impressive and in another league to us, whilst Max [Verstappen] had the legs on us.

We were able to hold off the Ferrari of Charles [Leclerc] in the closing stages, so it was very much an evening of damage limitation.

"Given the pace of the car, that was the very best we could have achieved.”

Hamilton further relayed his frustrations about the race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit but is confident the Silver Arrows can bounce back in Austin next month. 

“It is hard to describe the range of emotions you feel when we have a difficult race like that,” Hamilton said.

“This year continues to be a testing one for everyone, but we are all pushing as hard as we can.

"We don’t always get things right and that was the case today with our strategy.

“We have lost some form to the leaders in the past few races and we’re working hard to figure out why that is.”

Mercedes had won three of the last four races before the summer break but have since managed just one podium since after Russell benefitted from Carlos Sainz and Sergio Perez's crash on the penultimate lap of proceedings. 

But up next is a track Hamilton has relished over the years, with the Briton winning the American Grand Prix in Austin more times than anyone else (five), though he has not prevailed around the Texas circuit since 2017. 

George Russell was left surprised after his podium finish at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday, but tempered Mercedes' expectations for the rest of the season. 

Russell, who started fifth on the grid in Baku, inherited third place on the penultimate lap of proceedings after Sergio Perez's collision with Carlos Sainz. 

The Briton claimed his third podium for Mercedes this season, while team-mate Lewis Hamilton made it double points for the Silver Arrows after finishing ninth. 

Russell moved level with Red Bull's Perez in the drivers' championship and is now 23 points behind Hamilton ahead of the final seven races. 

However, Russell acknowledged where Mercedes ranked in the pecking order at the end of a tricky weekend that saw the team complete two power unit changes.

“Definitely surprised,” Russell said about his podium finish. “I think there was so much hard work this weekend for everybody in the team.

"There were engine changes on my side, engine changes for Lewis, so much going on, everybody was working so hard.

“We had a really bad start to the race. I was dropping off a lot, but on the hard tyre I think we were one of the quickest out there and that was great.

"Got past Max, so an added bonus to stand on the podium.

“I mean we’ve got to be realistic still. We should’ve finished fifth today. That was the true result.

"Obviously, with Lando [Norris’] qualifying yesterday, he probably would’ve been up there as well, so I don’t want to get carried away with ourselves with this podium today.

"We’ve got a lot of work to do. Hopefully, Singapore’s a slightly better weekend.”

As for Hamilton, having taken on a raft of new power unit components after qualifying, he was resigned to a long afternoon after his pit lane start.

He made up plenty of ground early on, and again after his pit stop, but spent much of the latter part of the race battling Franco Colapinto and Oliver Bearman.

Colapinto impressed in just his second race for Williams, scoring four points after finishing in eighth, while team-mate Alex Albon finished one place in front. 

And Bearman, who replaced the suspended Kevin Magnussen for Haas, completed the top 10, which came with a record-breaking achievement. 

The 19-year-old became the first driver to score points for two different teams in his first two Formula One races, having made his debut in March for Ferrari as a last-minute replacement for Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, finishing in seventh. 

Seven-time world champion Hamilton showered praise on the two rookies after the race, with the Briton, who will be replaced by youngster Kimi Antonelli at Mercedes next season, insisting the future is bright for the sport. 

“Today was a difficult race,” Hamilton said.

"“We had a good day on Friday, but the rest of the weekend was tough. We made some changes heading into Saturday that didn’t work out, but we had to live with them.

“We also knew it would be challenging to overtake today. Despite the long straight, it is hard to follow through the second sector.

"Franco Colapinto and Oliver Bearman, who I was racing for a lot of the afternoon, did such a great job.

"It is great to see the youngsters like them coming through and doing so well. For their first and second races, it was very impressive.”

Toto Wolff understands that any mistakes made by Kimi Antonelli will be placed under the microscope, even more so than future team-mate George Russell experienced at Williams. 

Antonelli, who currently sits sixth in the Formula 2 drivers' championship, was confirmed as Lewis Hamilton's replacement for Mercedes in the 2025 season last month. 

The news broke merely 24 hours after the Italian made his debut in the opening practice session at Monza, impressing in his first few laps. 

However, the 18-year-old's time behind the wheel quickly came to an end when he spun wildly entering the final corner of the track after just 10 minutes of running.

Before making the step up to Mercedes in 2022, future team-mate Russell spent three years with Williams, who found themselves as consistent back markers during his time there.

And while Wolff felt Russell's time with Williams should have been shorter, he acknowledged that his mistakes went largely unnoticed given the team's position in the constructors' championship, something that will be different for Antonelli.

“Obviously, maybe we’ve learned the lesson, George was maybe too long at Williams,” said Wolff.

“[He] did some of the mistakes at Williams where he was not so visible. Now we’ve fast-tracked Kimi, mistakes are going to be more visible because it’s in a Mercedes.

“But we’re absolutely ready for that investment, and having these two guys – full Mercedes juniors now in Formula 1 – is really great to see.

"It’s testament to the work of the junior team, looking at the minis today, the under-10s that are racing in karting.”

It took Russell 81 starts to claim his first triumph in the competition, coming in Sao Paulo two years ago. 

He has since claimed 13 podiums for Mercedes, securing a second career victory earlier this season at the Austrian Grand Prix.

And despite a nervy start to his F1 career, Russell is confident that any mistakes Antonelli makes will be crucial for his development.

“When I look back to when I was 18 years old, there’s obviously so much to learn,” Russell conceded.

“But I think, as a driver, you have the speed or you don’t have the speed, and I’m very confident Kimi has the speed.

“I think everybody on their journey is going to make mistakes, and that’s part of life and part of this sport. I’ve no doubt Kimi’s going to learn from [his FP1 at Monza].

“He’s definitely got the speed to help Mercedes get back to the front of the grid for next year onwards, and that’s why he’s going to be in the car alongside me next year.”

Lando Norris admitted his pole position at the Italian Grand Prix was "a surprise" after McLaren secured a second qualifying one-two of the season at Monza. 

Norris, who is aiming to become the first McLaren driver since Lewis Hamilton in 2010 to win consecutive races, looks good to close the gap to championship leader Max Verstappen, who finished in seventh. 

The Briton was just 0.109 seconds ahead of team-mate Oscar Piastri, with Mercedes' George Russell 0.113s off the pace in third after an incredibly tight Saturday session.

Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz were fourth and fifth for Ferrari at the team's home event, with Hamilton in sixth. 

Sergio Perez enjoyed a better qualifying session this time around and will start the race in eighth, while Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg completed the top 10. 

Norris pipped Piastri by just 0.035s on his first lap in the top-10 shootout, before improving his time on his second attempt despite not being happy with his lap.

"To have a first and second when the field is as tight as it has been all weekend is a little bit of a surprise, but a nice one," Norris said.

"My lap, it hurts me to say it, was not a great lap. My first one was. But still good enough for pole and still very happy.

"There are a lot of quick drivers behind in quick cars, so I am not expecting an easy race. Plenty of question marks but a lot of excitement, I'm sure."

Verstappen, however, struggled with balance in the final qualifying session, having been expected to battle the two McLarens after a strong showing in Q2. 

The three-time champion described the car as "shocking" at one point, and will have to come from midfield to claim a first win since the Spanish Grand Prix. 

Should the Dutchman fail to win at Monza, it will be the first time since the 2020 season he has gone six races without a victory. He had a run of 11 winless races in a row that year from Spain to Sakhir.

"Q3 was very bad on both of my tyre sets. I just picked up a lot of understeer so I couldn't attack any corners any more," Verstappen said. 

"I had to back it out a lot mid-corner and you lose a lot of lap time like that.

"Somehow in Q2 it wasn’t that bad. I did a 1:19.6 at that point and we were almost the quickest. We know our limitations and problems but at that point I think we had it fairly under control.

"But I went into Q3 and the balance was completely out, and I don't really understand how that happened."

Qualifying results

1. Lando Norris (McLaren)
2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
3. George Russell (Mercedes)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
7. Max Versappen (Red Bull)
8. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
9. Alex Albon (Williams)
10. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

Mercedes have confirmed that 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli will replace Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 Formula 1 season. 

Antonelli, who made his debut in practice at the Italian Grand Prix on Friday, will join George Russell on the grid next year and has signed a one-year contract.

The teenager's first appearance on track, however, was overshadowed after a crash in the early stages of the session halted a positive start at Monza.

He will become the third youngest F1 driver of all-time when he makes his competitive debut at the season-opener in Australia next March at 18 years and 203 days old, with only Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll younger in their first starts.

Antonelli was linked with a potential move to Williams to replace Logan Sargeant for the remainder of the 2024 season, but will continue the rest of his Formula 2 campaign with Prema racing. 

“It is an amazing feeling to be announced as a Mercedes works driver alongside George for 2025,” said Antonelli.

“Reaching F1 is a dream I’ve had since I was a small boy; I want to thank the team for the support they’ve given me in my career so far and the faith they’ve shown in me.

"I am still learning a lot, but I feel ready for the opportunity. I will be focused on getting better and delivering the best possible results for the team."

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: “Our 2025 driver line-up combines experience, talent, youth and out-and-out raw speed.

"We are excited about what George and Kimi bring to the team both as individual drivers, but also as a partnership.

“Our new line-up is perfect to open the next chapter in our story. It is also a testament to the strength of our junior programme and our belief in home-grown talent.

“George has proved that he is one of the very best drivers in the world. He is not only fast, consistent, and determined, but has also developed into a strong leader.

“Kimi has consistently shown the talent and speed needed to compete at the very top of our sport.

"We know it will be another big step up, but he has impressed us in his F1 testing this year and we will be supporting him every step of the way."

Mercedes have confirmed that 18-year-old Kimi Antonelli will replace Lewis Hamilton for the 2025 Formula 1 season. 

Antonelli, who made his debut in practice at the Italian Grand Prix on Friday, will join George Russell on the grid next year and has signed a one-year contract.

The teenager's first appearance on track, however, was overshadowed after a crash in the early stages of the session halted a positive start at Monza.

He will become the third youngest F1 driver of all-time when he makes his competitive debut at the season-opener in Australia next March at 18 years and 203 days old, with only Max Verstappen and Lance Stroll younger in their first starts.

Antonelli was linked with a potential move to Williams to replace Logan Sargeant for the remainder of the 2024 season, but will continue the rest of his Formula 2 campaign with Prema racing. 

“It is an amazing feeling to be announced as a Mercedes works driver alongside George for 2025,” said Antonelli.

“Reaching F1 is a dream I’ve had since I was a small boy; I want to thank the team for the support they’ve given me in my career so far and the faith they’ve shown in me.

"I am still learning a lot, but I feel ready for the opportunity. I will be focused on getting better and delivering the best possible results for the team."

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff said: “Our 2025 driver line-up combines experience, talent, youth and out-and-out raw speed.

"We are excited about what George and Kimi bring to the team both as individual drivers, but also as a partnership.

“Our new line-up is perfect to open the next chapter in our story. It is also a testament to the strength of our junior programme and our belief in home-grown talent.

“George has proved that he is one of the very best drivers in the world. He is not only fast, consistent, and determined, but has also developed into a strong leader.

“Kimi has consistently shown the talent and speed needed to compete at the very top of our sport.

"We know it will be another big step up, but he has impressed us in his F1 testing this year and we will be supporting him every step of the way."

Lando Norris claimed pole for the Dutch Grand Prix but expects Max Verstappen to "put up a good fight" in his home race.

The McLaren driver had cemented himself as the favourite following promising practice sessions and produced a stunning lap to edge the Dutchman by 0.356s in the final round of qualifying.

It is the first time that Verstappen will not start on pole at Zandvoort in his career and will face stiff competition as he aims for a fourth-straight win in the Netherlands, with Oscar Piastri behind him in third and Mercedes' George Russell in fourth. Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez rounds out the top five.

While Norris had been self-critical in the lead-up to the mid-season break, he was much more optimistic about his chances of claiming a second-ever Formula 1 victory at Zandvoort.

"An amazing day. It's nice to be back and start with a pole. It was a nice lap, honestly," he said after qualifying.

"The qualifying was always pretty smooth, and I put in some good laps, especially the one at the end, which is always the most important. A great job by the team, and I'm happy.

"It's not easy, but I felt comfortable out there, the car was feeling amazing. We've got some upgrades on the car for the first time in a while and everything's working very well, so a big thanks to the team too.

"I'm sure it's going to be tough. Max has been quick all weekend. I know we got him today, but he's still second, and he's going to be putting up a good fight, especially at his home race. I'm looking forward to it."

Charles Leclerc, in sixth, is Ferrari's sole representative in the top 10, while Alex Albon finished eighth, in between the two Aston Martin drivers, with Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll seventh and ninth respectively.

Pierre Gasly finished 10th, while Lewis Hamilton will start 12th after being knocked out in the second session after a mistake on the penultimate corner of his final lap.

The seven-time champion also faces a stewards' investigation to see whether he impeded Perez in the first qualifying session. 

Top 10

1. Lando Norris (McLaren)

2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

3. Oscar Piastri (McLaren)

4. George Russell (Mercedes)

5. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)

6. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

7. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin)

8. Alex Albon (Williams)

9. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

10. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)

George Russell believes this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix may be decided by the finest of margins after going quickest during Friday's practice in Zandvoort. 

Russell, who was denied a third career win at Spa for his car being underweight last time out, finished the session 0.061 seconds quicker than McLaren's Oscar Piastri. 

Mercedes' recent improvements were on show once more, with Russell's team-mate Lewis Hamilton finishing 0.111 behind him as Lando Norris ended up in fourth. 

Defending world champion Max Verstappen endured another difficult time out on track, ending up in fifth ahead of tomorrow's qualifying sessions. 

But despite the Dutchman's underwhelming display on the track, Russell did not rule out the threat of Verstappen, who has won the race on the last three ocassions. 

“Really difficult out there because it was so windy. But the car was performing really well. It looks to be quite a close battle with the McLarens and Max.”

Hamilton, meanwhile, saw room for improvement in his own performance as he looks to continue his impressive form before the mid-season break. 

The seven-time world champion has reached four podiums in the last five Formula 1 races, while also scoring the most points (95) than anyone else in the last five races. 

But should he record four consecutive podiums for the first time since 2022, Hamilton acknowledged that his set-up must be spot, starting in qualifying.  

“It was OK today. A big, big difference compared to last year so the car is feeling more alive and we’re right up there at the front," Hamilton said. 

“I didn’t get the most out of it (on the single lap), there is still performance, left. I just have to work on set-up.

"I don’t know if I looked particularly quick (on the long run) but the set-up I had for a single lap was hindering the long run.”

Norris will also be looking to close the gap in the drivers' championship, currently sitting 78 points behind Verstappen with 10 races of the season remaining. 

And after a promising session on Friday, the Briton is confident that McLaren can continue to push and challenge the Silver Arrows this weekend. 

“Mercedes look a bit quicker but it is close. I don't think there is a quickest. It depends on different factors.

“We have been in good form since Miami but not brought any updates since Miami. This weekend’s our first time trying to make a bit more progress with the car.

“(I’m) optimistic, but have no idea whether it’s working or not how it’s performing at the minute.

“Today was a reasonable day and we are there or thereabouts. A little bit more to find tonight hopefully and we can challenge the Mercedes.”

Mercedes have revealed George Russell's own weight loss during the Belgian Grand Prix contributed to his disqualification.

Russell had pulled off a remarkable victory from sixth on the grid by using a one-stop strategy, edging to victory ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton by half a second.

However, the 26-year-old's car failed a post-race weight check, coming in at 1.5kg below the weight limit, and Hamilton was promoted to first place.

A report after the race confirmed the car had initially been compliant with the minimum weight but by keeping the tyres for longer, they lost more rubber.

The underbody 'plank' still complied with the regulations during the post-weight check, but had eroded more than expected.

Now, Mercedes have explained how the car lost so much weight during the race.

"The car can lose quite a lot of weight during the race. You get tyre wear, plank wear, brake wear, oil consumption.

"The drivers themselves can lose a lot, and in this particular race, George lost quite a bit of weight.

"George's car was the only one that had the problem, and it is because things like the tyre wear was much higher. It looks like we lost more material on the plank.

"We will collect all that data though, look at how we can refine our processes because, clearly, we do not want that to happen in the future."

Lewis Hamilton was "gutted" for George Russell after the latter's disqualification from the Belgian Grand Prix handed victory to the seven-time Formula One champion.

Russell finished just ahead of his Mercedes team-mate Hamilton in Sunday's race to seal a one-two for the team at Spa.

Mercedes had taken a risky strategy with Russell, who went 34 laps on just one set of tyres.

However, an investigation after the race found Russell's car to be 1.5kg underweight, and so Hamilton was handed the race win.

In a post on Instagram, Hamilton said: "Mixed feelings for today's result. Obviously, happy to get the win but I feel for George and it's disappointing for the team not to get the one-two.

"A lot of positives to take from today, though. At the start of the weekend, we didn't expect to be at the front or the pace we had, so it's great to see just how much progress has been made and that we are in the fight.

"We take all these positives with us into the break and will come back a stronger team ready to keep the momentum going."

In a subsequent post on his Instagram story, Hamilton wrote: "Great drive today @georgerussell63, really am gutted for you and the team losing the win and also our 1-2 which the team deserved. Let's keep pushing, work towards another 1-2 in the second half."

Russell, meanwhile, was left heartbroken by the decision, which denied him his second win of the season.

"Heartbreaking… We came in 1.5kg underweight and have been disqualified from the race," Russell wrote in a post on social media.

"We left it all on the track today and I take pride in crossing the line first. There will be more to come."

Hamilton is now sixth in the drivers' standings, with 150 points, 34 ahead of Russell in eighth.

Reigning champion Max Verstappen picked up another two points courtesy of Russell's disqualification, taking him onto 277 at the top of the standings, though the Dutchman has not won in four races, his worst such streak since 2020.