George Russell celebrated a victory that has now been taken away from him. © APA/afp / SIMON WOHLFAHRT

Trouble in Formula 1: The winner is disqualified

As quickly as it came, it went: Mercedes driver George Russell was disqualified on Sunday two and a half hours after his supposed victory in the Belgian Grand Prix.

July 28, 2024

From: dpa/det

As the technical delegate announced on Sunday after the Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps, the Englishman's car was one and a half kilograms too light after a test. The minimum weight of a Formula 1 car is 798 kilograms, but Russell's car weighed only 796,5 kilograms. The stewards had no choice but to disqualify him. Teammate Lewis Hamilton thus inherited the victory, with Oscar Piastri (McLaren) coming second.

"During the hearing, the team representative confirmed that the measurement was correct and that all necessary procedures were carried out correctly. The team also acknowledged that there were no mitigating circumstances and that this was a genuine error on the part of the team," the stewards said in their statement.

Now Hamilton is celebrating

Russell thus lost his third Formula 1 victory after he had masterfully won the last Grand Prix before the summer break with a brave one-stop strategy. The first to benefit was Lewis Hamilton, who finished just 0,5 seconds behind his teammate. McLaren driver Oscar Piastri moved up to second place ahead of Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton inherited the victory. © APA/afp / SIMON WOHLFAHRT

World champion Max Verstappen, who had already started the Belgian Grand Prix with the burden of a grid penalty, moved up to fourth place ahead of Lando Norris in the second McLaren.

Final score in Belgium

1. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes 1:19:57,566
2. Oscar Piastri (AUS) McLaren +0,647
3. Charles Leclerc (MON) Ferrari +8,023
4. Max Verstappen (NED) Red Bull Racing +8,700
5. Lando Norris (GBR) McLaren +9,324
6. Carlos Sainz (ESP) Ferrari +19,269
7. Sergio Perez (MEX) Red Bull Racing +42,669
8. Fernando Alonso (ESP) Aston Martin Aramco +49,437
9. Esteban Ocon (FRA) Alpine +52,026
10. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) Racing Bulls +54,400

Disqualified: George Russell (GBR) Mercedes