Aston Martin produced new evidence showing why there was less fuel in his tank than anticipated, but the team’s right to review was rejected and Szafnauer ultimately decided to withdraw the appeal.
To make matters worse, Esteban Ocon’s surprise win in Budapest, combined with a fourth-placed finish from teammate Fernando Alonso, meant Alpine scored 37 points in the final race before the mid-season break, propelling them into fifth.
While Vettel will be chasing a good result for himself, Stroll has picked up points in each of his last two races at Spa, and is hopeful of another good result in his mother’s homeland.
He said: “It has been nice to have a break and come back with maximum focus and determination for the second half of the year.
“Spa is always a home race of sorts for me because of my Belgian heritage. It is one of my favourite Grands Prix of the year, anything can happen in Spa.”