In a dramatic turn of events at the Belgian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton has been declared the winner following the disqualification of his Mercedes teammate George Russell. Russell, who initially crossed the finish line first, was found to have breached FIA regulations regarding car weight. His Mercedes W15 weighed 796.5 kg, 1.5 kg below the minimum required weight of 798 kg.The disqualification resulted in a significant reshuffle of the podium positions. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was 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 for an unauthorized engine change, finished fourth.This victory marks Hamilton’s 105th career win in Formula 1, further extending his lead over Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 wins. It also represents Hamilton’s fifth Belgian Grand Prix victory, tying him with Ayrton Senna.Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged the error, stating, ‘We have to take our disqualification on the chin. We clearly made an error and we must ensure we learn from it’. Russell expressed his disappointment on social media, saying, ‘It’s devastating. We came with 1.5 kg less weight and got disqualified from the race. We left everything on the track today and I’m proud to have crossed the finish line first’.Despite the setback, Mercedes has shown significant progress this season. The team had been celebrating its first double victory in over a year and a half before the disqualification. The incident has raised questions about the team’s strategy and fuel management, as Russell’s aggressive one-stop strategy likely contributed to the weight issue.In the championship standings, Verstappen maintains his lead with 277 points, 78 points ahead of Lando Norris. The Formula 1 season will resume in August at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort.
Key points
- Lewis Hamilton wins Belgian GP after George Russell’s disqualification for an underweight car.
- Hamilton’s victory marks his 105th career win in Formula 1, extending his lead over Michael Schumacher’s record.
- The disqualification reshuffled the podium with Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc moving up to second and third respectively.
- Max Verstappen finished fourth but maintains a significant lead in the championship standings.
Contradictions👾There is a slight discrepancy in reporting Verstappen’s final position, with some sources stating he finished fourth while one source reported he finished fifth.
