Formula 1 in Belgium - Mercedes with light weight: Russell disqualified in Spa
George Russell's surprise Formula-1 win in Belgium cost him 1.5 kilograms and denied Lewis Hamilton his 106th career triumph. The mandatory check following the strategy thriller at Spa-Francorchamps revealed that Russell's car with the number 63 was too light. The minimum weight of a Formula-1 car is 798 kilograms. However, Russell's car weighed only 796.5 kilograms. The race stewards eventually disqualified the young Englishman.
The team representative confirmed that the measurement was correct and that all required procedures were carried out. The team also admitted that there were no mitigating circumstances and that it was a real team error.
1.5 kilograms short
What a finale! This allowed Mercedes to avoid a double success from surprise package Russell despite his impressive performance. The runners-up in the standings profited from this instead. "We have to accept the disqualification with composure," said team boss Toto Wolff after the weight judgment. "We clearly made a mistake and need to learn from it."
Formula-1 World Champion Max Verstappen could only watch the thrilling show at the front from a distance and inadvertently extended his thirst run. The Red Bull star missed the success in his chase after a penalty as the new fourth place for the fourth time in a row. Verstappen was able to extend his WM lead over McLaren's Lando Norris to 78 points, as he finished directly behind the Belgian-born Dutchman.
In atypical summer conditions in the Ardennes, Russell raced with a risky one-stop strategy, crossing the finish line with a slim 0.5-second lead over Hamilton. However, his car had less ballast than his rivals to carry. Norris' teammate Oscar Piastri, who had celebrated his premier victory a week earlier in Hungary, became the new second place ahead of Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari.
Not the first Mercedes double success since 2022
"Whispering Tyre" praised Mercedes team boss Wolff for Russell's supposed second season victory and the long-awaited first double success for the Silver Arrows since Brazil 2022 in the team radio. "Fantastic result. I definitely didn't predict this win in our strategy meeting this morning," said Russell, beaming as he held up his trophy and felt like a winner for a few hours. "The car felt fantastic."
Verstappen could not fulfill his dream of a fourth consecutive Spa victory. His Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, who started from pole position for the first time since the China Grand Prix in April, could not keep the crowd entertained with a final position of seventh. "Not a top race, but a good race. We're not the fastest anymore," said Verstappen. He had "given it his all".
"We're a little disappointed, we had expected more," admitted Red Bull motor racing advisor Helmut Marko before praising the Grand Prix winner: "That was incredible from Russell." For Nico Hülkenberg, there was nothing going on at this weekend. The Haas regular started as 16th and finished the 14th season race as 18th.
It's "more Netflix-like" at Red Bull right now.
The former dominance of Red Bull is over. Aware of this, Sebastian Vettel's former team is. However, Verstappen showed his excellence in qualifying, distancing Leclerc as the first pursuer significantly (+0.595 seconds). However, since Verstappen had already used his fifth engine of the year on the longest circuit in the calendar, he had to start ten places behind. Leclerc was given the 25th pole position of his career.
"We were used to being the pacesetters, but it's different today," admitted Red Bull motor racing advisor Marko. The situation with Perez also played a role. The Mexican has had a contract since the beginning of June until the end of 2025, as well as an option for an additional season. However, after a strong start to this year, Perez has been falling behind. The 34-year-old is at risk of being out in Formula 1's off-season.
Verstappen's "race for damage limitation"
"That's not enough," Marko said on the Sky TV channel. "We'll get together on Monday evening in England and analyze it." For Marko, the theoretical case for letting go of Verstappen, Red Bull's replacement driver Liam Lawson (22), Daniel Ricciardo (35), and Yuki Tsunoda (24) from sister team AlphaTauri were ready.
Perez had to let Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes pass after a tough fight from the very beginning. Verstappen was in eighth place at the start of the second round, right behind his championship rival Norris. The McLaren driver was not optimal at the start and drove off the track over the marking. Hamilton took the lead from Leclerc.
Verstappen was in a dilemma. The Dutchman wanted to put pressure but had to save his tires at the same time. "I see it as a race for damage limitation," Verstappen said and brought his pit stop forward, but got stuck in traffic as the 14th.
Harsh penalty for Russell
Russell continued to close in on the top three. At the halfway point, Verstappen only had Russell in the second Mercedes, McLaren's Piastri, Leclerc, and the leading Hamilton ahead of him.
Leclerc opened the parade of leading drivers, who all changed to the next set of hard tires during their second pit stop. Hamilton reacted shortly thereafter. At the front, however, his teammate Russell held on and eventually outsmarted the competition. It looked that way for a long time, but his car had to be weighed eventually.
- Despite the disqualification, George Russell's surprising win in Belgium earned him valuable points, maintaining his position in the standings.
- The mistake from the Mercedes team not only affected Russell's victory but also impacted their overall team performance in the Formula-1 championship.
- Charles Leclerc finished the race in fourth place, missing out on the podium due to Russell's disqualification and Norris' strong performance.
- The scrutiny at Spa-Francorchamps highlighted the strict rules in Formula-1, making every gram count on the car's weight.
- The penalty for Russell was a harsh reminder of the importance of compliance with the rules in international motorsport like Formula-1.
- Lewis Hamilton, despite his efforts, was unable to secure the 106th career triumph due to Russell's underweight car.
- Mercedes-Benz faced criticism for the oversight, leaving a dent in their reputation as a reliable and professional motorsport team.
- Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez had a tough weekend at Spa, with Verstappen finishing behind Norris and Perez ending up in seventh position.
- Despite the setbacks, Red Bull managed to maintain their position in the Formula-1 standings, keeping their title hopes alive.
- Lando Norris continued his impressive season with another strong performance, capitalizing on Mercede's mistake and Red Bull's weaknesses.
- The Hungarian Grand Prix was just around the corner, offering a new opportunity for teams to prove their mettle and chase the prestigious Formula-1-World-Champion title.
