The Belgian Grand Prix ended in an unfavorable way for Mercedes. While George Russell and Lewis Hamilton had managed to reach the first two steps of the podium, Russell was ultimately disqualified due to a violation of the vehicle weight rules. Lewis Hamilton, initially second, therefore inherited the victory.
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion is struggling to digest his second victory of the season, while his teammate is losing many points for the team.
A big disappointment for George Russell.
As he had just celebrated his victory, the Mercedes driver was summoned to the race stewards’ office to discuss the weight of his vehicle after the race. With a weight 1.5 kg below the minimum required, George Russell was therefore disqualified from the Belgian Grand Prix.
He had initially won the race with a one-stop strategy, but it cost him the victory due to the weight lost by tire wear. The lack of rubber debris on his tires is also to blame, as he could have recovered the 2 kg needed on the deceleration lap, specifically removed in Belgium. “It’s disappointing to be disqualified from today’s race,” Russell said. “It had been an incredible Grand Prix for us, with a one-stop strategy that had worked. During what turned out to be my final stint, the tires were becoming more and more performant,” he explained to the media.
Although this result did not highlight Russell’s performance in a positive way, his battle remains praiseworthy as he himself reported. Despite the disqualification, I am of course proud to have crossed the line first. It’s also good that the team was able to secure the victory with Lewis, he concluded. However, the new ranking, which declared Lewis Hamilton the winner, did not convince the second driver.
A victorious Hamilton, but surprised.
Hamilton, who inherited the first place after Russell’s disqualification, admitted to having mixed feelings about this event. While he secures his second victory, the driver marks his return to the front of the grid after his first win at Silverstone. The seven-time world champion still wanted to express his regret about the way the victory was obtained.
« It is obviously disappointing for the team to miss out on the double win, but there are many positive points to take from this day. The car was well set up, and we had a much better pace than expected. There were several cars with similar performances, but once we gained the advantage, we were able to maintain that position,” started Lewis Hamilton. « We opted for the two-stop strategy and covered those who were just behind us. I feel sorry for George, and we don’t want to win a race because of a disqualification, but we have found our way back to victory in the last races. »
The most successful British Formula 1 driver in history also used his social networks to speak out again about the situation. Great drive today, George Russell. I am really disappointed for you and the team to lose the win and our one-two finish that the team deserved. Let’s keep fighting and working towards another one-two in the second half of the season, he shared on Instagram.
Despite the disappointment, Mercedes can rejoice in its recent performances. With three wins in the last four races, the team shows that it can compete with McLaren and Red Bull. Having recovered numerous points in the last Grand Prix events, the team aims to target the third place in the constructor championship, trailing by 79 points behind Ferrari, which seems to be losing power at the end of the first part of the season.
