George Russell anticipated the storm brewing as he exited the paddock gates at Spa on Sunday night.
However, it wasn’t until he navigated the long, winding roads through the Ardennes that his worst fears materialized.
His third Grand Prix victory—achieved through an audacious and brilliant strategic decision—had been annulled. Russell was disqualified, leaving the race win awarded to teammate Lewis Hamilton.
While Russell celebrated the clever decision to stick with a one-stop strategy, the governing body of the sport was busy administering their routine post-race evaluations. That’s when an irregularity was discovered.
The stewards took two and a half hours to finalize their ruling. Yet as he sat awaiting the outcome, the sympathetic expression on team principal Toto Wolff’s face hinted at the looming decision.
Brit George Russell seemed to have secured another win earlier this season at the Austrian GP
George Russell, starting sixth on the grid, held off a late charge from Hamilton, believing he had secured his second win of the 2024 season
The stewards determined that Russell’s winning Mercedes was 1.5 kilograms under the required weight
Lewis Hamilton, Russell’s teammate and fellow Brit, inherited the Belgian GP win following the disqualification
Guilty was the final verdict. Russell’s car, which seemed to secure his second win of the season, was found to be 1.5 kilos underweight, violating regulations.
‘We must accept this setback. A mistake has occurred and a one-two finish would have been a fantastic result before the summer break,’ said Wolff, who described Russell as the ‘tyre whisperer’ after his strategic coup.
‘We need to learn from this. As a team there were positives, but for George, losing this is a significant blow.’
Taking to social media, the 26-year-old Russell expressed, ‘Heartbreaking. We gave everything on the track today and I take pride in finishing first. There’s more to come.’
Even such optimistic words may not console Russell after this harsh turn of events.
It’s often said that fortune favors the bold, and it appeared that Russell’s daring decision had earned him a well-deserved reward, starting from sixth place.
With just 12 laps to go and Russell in top form, his team posed the crucial question. After stopping at the end of lap 10, would he dare to skip another pit stop? Russell resisted the urge to conform and stood firm in his decision.
On fresher tires, Hamilton seemed poised to capitalize on Russell’s strategy. As the race approached its conclusion, Russell appeared vulnerable on his worn tires. Or so we thought.
Max Verstappen finished fifth (now fourth) after starting 11th due to a grid penalty
McLaren’s Lando Norris finished sixth (now fifth), losing ground to Verstappen after being outpaced by teammate Piastri
Hamilton’s attempts were too late as Russell held on to finish first.
‘After analyzing all the data we gathered on Friday, which indicated that a one-stop strategy was not even a feasible option, you begin to second-guess yourself thinking, “Are we overlooking something? Why isn’t anyone else attempting this?”’ Russell reflected before discovering his fate.
‘It’s a reminder that despite having numerous sensors and data points in these F1 cars, there are only 20 of us drivers, and sometimes you just have to rely on your instincts.
‘You can feel how the tires interact with the track and must trust your gut.’
Mercedes was unable to identify the specific reason for the unexpected weight loss on Sunday night.
The only consolation for Russell was that the win ultimately went to Hamilton, who had executed a remarkable race to fend off the pursuing rivals.
This rival group included Lando Norris, who crossed the line in fifth place, a crucial day for him to take advantage of the 10-place grid penalty given to title contender Max Verstappen.
Even worse for Norris, he finished just behind Verstappen, who managed to extend his lead in the standings to 78 points.
Toto Wolff praised Russell as the ‘tyre whisperer’ after his performance but will now ponder what could have been for Mercedes after the disqualification
Lewis Hamilton finished just over half a second behind Russell and will now be awarded the win
Norris never recovered from an early misstep, losing two positions at the first turn.
‘I honestly misjudged the situation. I wanted to avoid being taken out first turn, so I opened a gap and miscalculated the exit,’ said Norris, who also locked up in the final chicane later in the race, further dashing his chance of overtaking Verstappen.
The 24-year-old appears to be shouldering considerable pressure at the moment, quite unlike his usual buoyant self. This four-week pause until the next race in the Netherlands may provide him the respite he needs.
‘We all need this break. I feel like I particularly need to reset as I’ve lost many points in the last few races due to avoidable mistakes.
‘It’s not just one issue; it’s about perhaps trying too hard and facing the consequences of that.’
