In a dramatic turn of events at the Belgian Grand Prix, George Russell’s initial victory was nullified as his Mercedes car was found to be underweight, leading to his disqualification. The FIA technical delegate discovered that Russell’s car weighed 796.5 kg, 1.5 kg below the minimum required weight of 798 kg. As a result, Lewis Hamilton inherited the win, marking his 105th career victory and his second of the season.The reshuffle of the podium saw McLaren’s Oscar Piastri promoted to second place, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc moving up to third. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who started 11th due to a grid penalty, finished fourth, maintaining his championship lead of 78 points over Lando Norris.Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged the error, stating, ‘We have to take our disqualification on the chin’. He expressed regret to Russell while praising the team’s overall performance and the car’s competitiveness. Russell, who had employed a bold one-stop strategy, expressed his disappointment on social media, saying, ‘It’s heartbreaking. We came 1.5kg underweight and got disqualified from the race. We left everything on the track today and I’m proud to have crossed the line first’.The incident has raised questions about Mercedes’ strategy and fuel management, as Russell’s aggressive fuel usage likely contributed to the weight issue. Despite the setback, Mercedes has shown significant progress this season, accumulating 170 points and achieving a top-two finish in the last six Grands Prix.The disqualification serves as a stark reminder of the fine margins in Formula 1 and the importance of adhering to technical regulations. As the championship moves forward, teams will likely scrutinize their weight management strategies more closely to avoid similar penalties.
Key points
- George Russell was disqualified from winning the Belgian GP due to his car being 1.
- Lewis Hamilton inherited the win, marking his 105th career victory.
- Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc were promoted to second and third places respectively.
- Max Verstappen finished fourth, maintaining his championship lead.
- Mercedes acknowledged the error and vowed to learn from it.
5 kg underweight.
Contradictions👾There is a slight discrepancy in the reported amount of fuel removed from Russell’s car.
Source mentions 2.
8 liters, while most other sources do not specify an exact amount.
