In a surprising turn of events, George Russell gets disqualified from the Belgian Grand Prix. Let’s break down what happened:
- George Russell’s impressive strategy hits a snag with a minor weight discrepancy.
- Toto Wolff keeps calm as the drama unfolds with FIA stewards.
- Lewis Hamilton benefits from Russell’s disqualification, moving up to first place.
- Mercedes admits to an unfortunate mistake and aims to learn from the experience.
George Russell’s clever one-stop strategy at the Belgian Grand Prix saw him leading a spectacular Mercedes 1-2. But, an unexpected technical issue arose after the race. With only 2.8 liters of fuel left, Russell’s car was 1.5 kg shy of the minimum weight requirement.
As discussions unfolded, Toto Wolff chose not to speculate on the reasons behind the weight discrepancy. He mentioned the possibility of less rubber on the tires due to the long stint and high degradation. Yet, the FIA found no cooling lap was possible to recover any rubber, leaving the car underweight.
The stewards quickly confirmed the car’s weight using both internal and external scales. Mercedes acknowledged the scales and the FIA’s procedures were accurate. Unable to present any mitigating circumstances, they owned up to the error.
Toto Wolff stated firmly, ‘We have to take it on the chin.’ Despite the blow, Wolff remained positive, appreciating that both cars were benchmarks in the race with different strategies.
With Russell disqualified, Lewis Hamilton was promoted to first place, marking his second win in three race weekends. Mercedes held a reflective stance, apologizing to Russell and emphasizing the positives to take from the race, like strong performance and tactical ingenuity.
Ultimately, Wolff noted that despite the setback, Mercedes heads into the summer break rejuvenated, aiming to maintain their positive trajectory after winning three of the past four races.
Despite the disqualification, Mercedes focuses on the positives and looks forward to bouncing back stronger.
Source: Planetf1
