George Russell Disqualified After Belgian Grand Prix Victory

George Russell's exhilarating victory at the Belgian Grand Prix was overshadowed by a disqualification due to a weight violation. The 26-year-old British driver executed a daring one-stop strategy, successfully defending his lead against teammate Lewis Hamilton. However, post-race checks revealed that Russell's Mercedes car was 1.5 kg under the minimum weight limit after the mandatory fuel drainage, prompting the FIA stewards to disqualify him from the race classification. The disqualification stemmed from an unexpected consequence of Russell's race strategy, which involved completing over 30 laps on hard tyres. This approach may have contributed to the car's weight loss, as detailed in a report from FIA Technical Delegate Jo Bauer. The car was weighed multiple times, ultimately confirming it fell short of the required 798 kg, leading to the stewards' decision. This incident echoes a similar situation from the previous year when both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified from the US Grand Prix for breaching regulations related to their cars' floors. Russell's thrilling finish, where he crossed the line just half a second ahead of Hamilton, was rendered moot by the disqualification. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff expressed disappointment, acknowledging the need for the team to learn from the error. He emphasized the positives from the race but recognized the significant impact of the disqualification on Russell, who had hoped to celebrate what he believed was his third career win in Formula One.