George Russell’s spectacular win at the Belgian Grand Prix turned sour when his car was disqualified for being underweight. But what exactly went wrong?
Mercedes believes a mix of factors led George Russell’s car to be under the weight limit after the Belgian Grand Prix. Early analysis hasn’t pinpointed a single cause, but several suspects have been identified.
Russell’s disqualification came because his car weighed 1.5kg below the minimum of 798kg. Mercedes’ trackside engineering director, Andrew Shovlin, noted the team is checking all components to understand the issue. His theory? Excessive tire and plank wear, combined with Russell’s personal weight loss.
Russell had executed an unexpected one-stop strategy, which may have worn his tires more, thus losing mass. Shovlin explained that tire wear can account for up to 1kg over a stint. This wear could contribute significantly to the weight issue, alongside the driver’s physical changes during the race.
Shovlin emphasized that no warnings were evident before the race. Russell and teammate Lewis Hamilton’s cars were nearly identical in weight after qualifying. The critical difference? Russell’s higher tire wear. Shovlin stated, “It looks like we lost more material on the plank.”
The weight discrepancy, while strategic, likely had minimal impact on Russell’s pace according to Shovlin. Both cars started the race at the same weight. He noted, “In terms of pace at the start of the race, it’s nil because George’s car and Lewis’s car start the race at the same weight.”
Therefore, Mercedes is collecting data to refine its processes to prevent future issues. The team aims to avoid such disqualifications, ensuring all cars remain compliant with regulations.
George Russell’s stunning performance at Spa-Francorchamps ended in disappointment, but Mercedes is hard at work to understand and fix the issue. The mixed factors of tire wear, plank degradation, and human weight loss suggest there’s more than meets the eye in F1 racing dynamics.
