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Why Was George Russell Disqualified and Stripped of 2024 F1 Belgian GP Win? Deets Inside
Geroge Russell's joy was short-lived as just a day after winning the Belgian Grand Prix, he we stripped of the victory. Find out why Russell was disqualified
In a dramatic turn of events, George Russell's victory at the 2024 F1 Belgian Grand Prix was short-lived as the Mercedes driver was disqualified and stripped of his win due to his car being found underweight after crossing the finish line.
This unfortunate incident saw his teammate Lewis Hamilton being promoted to first place, achieving his second victory of the season.
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Why was George Russell disqualified from 2024 F1 Belgian GP win?
The issue arose when George Russell's Mercedes was weighed post-race and initially appeared to meet the minimum weight requirement of 798 kilograms. However, upon draining fuel from the car, it was discovered that the vehicle was 1.5kg underweight. This discrepancy led to the matter being referred to the stewards, who ultimately made the decision to disqualify Russell from the race.
The stewards' statement quoted that the car was measured to be 796.5kg on both the FIA inside and outside scales, breaching Article 4.1 of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations, as reported by ESPN. The team admitted the error was genuine and there were no mitigating circumstances leading to the disqualification.
One potential factor contributing to the weight discrepancy could be the physical wear of the tyres throughout the race, as Russell opted for a one-stop strategy, making a single set of tyres last 34 laps.
While tyre wear can naturally lead to weight loss, teams typically factor this into their calculations beforehand.
Moreover, the unique post-race procedures at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, where drivers immediately head into the pit lane exit after the finish instead of completing a cool-down lap, can prevent the usual process of picking up discarded rubber on tyres to replace any lost weight.
Despite the disappointment, Russell maintained a positive outlook, expressing pride in his performance and hinting at future successes. On the other hand, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff gracefully accepted the outcome, acknowledging the team's responsibility for the error and emphasizing the positives from the race.
Lewis Hamilton was unaware of George Russell's ‘one-stop’
Lewis Hamilton, seven-time Formula 1 world champion, was left in the dark regarding his teammate George Russell's one-stop strategy at the Belgian Grand Prix. Hamilton, who was poised to claim victory until Russell's bold one-stop approach paid off, expressed his frustration towards the lack of communication from the Mercedes team.
Despite Hamilton's confidence in his tyre performance and feedback to the team, he received no indication that Russell would attempt a risky one-stop strategy to steal the win.
Following the disqualification of George Russell for an underweight Mercedes, Hamilton was declared the winner of the Belgian Grand Prix. Despite the triumph, Hamilton's discontent with Mercedes' strategy decisions was palpable. In a candid post-race interview, Hamilton questioned the team's handling of the race situation and highlighted the importance of trust and communication between driver and strategists.
“You have to put the faith in the people that you work with. I put the faith in my strategists. I should be able to lean on them fully. I told them that the tyres are fine and they pulled me in. Did I know that I was at risk of getting one-stopped by my team-mate? They didn't tell me that,” Hamilton said per Sky Sports.
Later on, Mercedes Team Principal, Toto Wolff, defended the decision to pit Hamilton during the race, emphasizing the necessity to cover rivals Leclerc and Norris to avoid being undercut. Wolff acknowledged Russell's gamble on the one-stop strategy, which ultimately paid off until the disqualification.
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