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 record. Hamilton expressed mixed feelings about the win, saying, ‘I feel for George, and you don’t want to win a race through a disqualification, but we have been back in the fight for victories in the past few races’.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 heartbreaking to be disqualified from today’s race. Despite the disqualification, I am of course proud to have crossed the line first’.Meanwhile, Red Bull’s Sergio Perez had a disappointing performance, starting second but finishing seventh after Russell’s disqualification. Perez experienced technical issues and struggled with his tires, leading to speculation about his future with the team. He is set to meet with Red Bull officials on Monday to discuss his performance and future.In the championship standings, Verstappen maintains his lead, with the Formula 1 season set to resume on August 25 at the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort.
Key points
- Lewis Hamilton awarded victory at Belgian GP after teammate George Russell’s disqualification for an underweight car.
- Hamilton secures his 105th F1 career win, extending his record.
- Sergio Perez’s poor performance at Belgian GP raises questions about his future with Red Bull.
- Max Verstappen maintains championship lead despite starting 11th.
Contradictionsđź‘ľThere is a discrepancy in the reported finishing position of Sergio Perez.
One source states he finished eighth, while another mentions he finished seventh after Russell’s disqualification.
