George Russell thought he clinched his fourth F1 win at the Belgian Grand Prix, but a shocking post-race revelation changed everything.
- Russell pitted early to switch from medium to hard tires at Lap 10, initiating a bold one-stop strategy.
- Despite pressure from Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri, Russell held onto his lead and crossed the finish line first.
- However, a post-race check found his car underweight by 1.5 kilograms, leading to his disqualification.
- This decision promoted Hamilton to first place, with Piastri and Leclerc finishing second and third, respectively.
George Russell, who looked to have secured his fourth F1 victory at the Belgian Grand Prix with a dramatic race day performance, faced an unexpected twist hours later.
On Lap 10, anticipating high tire degradation, Russell switched from medium to hard tires, hinting at a risky one-stop strategy over the radio.
As the race progressed, Russell’s lead grew, despite teammate Lewis Hamilton and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri closing the gap with fresher tires.
Hamilton and Piastri, both within DRS range, couldn’t overtake Russell, who notably finished the race with an impressive lead.
However, post-race scrutineering found Russell’s car to be just 1.5 kilograms under the mandatory 798-kilogram weight limit, leading to swift disqualification.
Both the internal and external scales confirmed the underweight issue, leaving no room for Mercedes to argue mitigating circumstances like car damage.
As Mercedes representatives agreed on the scales’ accuracy, the stewards disqualified Russell for breaching Article 4.1 of the Technical Regulations.
The result reshuffled the standings, bumping Hamilton to first place, Oscar Piastri to second, and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to third.
Russell expressed his disappointment on social media, remarking the result was ‘heartbreaking’ and emphasizing the effort put into the race.
Mercedes admitted their mistake, vowing to learn from it and suggesting the tire wear could be a reason for the underweight issue.
The Belgian Grand Prix ended dramatically with Russell’s disqualification, reshuffling the podium and leaving fans in suspense.
Source: Planetf1
