After George Russell’s stunning disqualification at Spa, Mercedes has been cautioned against going overboard in their response at Zandvoort.
- George Russell was disqualified from the Belgian GP for being 1.5kg underweight.
- Toto Wolff stressed the need to “take the disqualification on the chin” and not overreact.
- Bernie Collins highlighted the complexities of car weight management during races.
- Mercedes must avoid adding unnecessary weight which can hamper race performance.
George Russell’s disqualification from the Belgian GP sparked a wave of caution within the Mercedes team. Despite crossing the finish line first, Russell and his car were found to be 1.5kg underweight, leading to his exclusion.
Team principal Toto Wolff admitted that the disqualification was a tough pill to swallow but emphasized the importance of accepting the decision and avoiding any knee-jerk reactions.
Former Aston Martin and McLaren strategist Bernie Collins explained the challenges of maintaining the car’s weight during a race. She pointed out that factors such as tire wear and fuel levels can significantly impact weight.
Collins elaborated on the podcast, stating, ‘Weighing something is one of the easiest measurements to take. So it’s a slam dunk, if we like, that it was a breach of technical regulations.’
She also stressed that adding too much weight to be safe could slow the car down, costing crucial time during the race: ‘A kilo is .03 a lap – it really adds up over the course of the race.’
Moreover, Collins noted this was not the first time in recent years that Mercedes faced disqualification due to technical issues. However, she believes the disqualification at Spa was a unique case due to underestimated tire wear.
According to Collins, Russell’s impressive 34-lap stint on hard tires, when only 15 laps were expected, contributed to the underweight issue. ‘The new set of tyres between the heaviest and the lightest set of brand-new tyres can be 1.2 kilos,’ she added.
‘It just seems to be an underestimation on the engineering side as to how much the car would be light at the end of the race,’ Collins concluded, emphasizing the importance of not reacting excessively.
In sum, Mercedes needs to strike a balance and not overcompensate for the disqualification at Spa.
Source: Planetf1
