George Russell’s quest for a third Formula 1 win was thwarted by an underweight car, leading to his disqualification after the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix.
The Mercedes pilot marked a historic moment by becoming the sixth driver in F1 history to have a race win revoked due to disqualification. He had executed a dramatic comeback from sixth on the grid at Spa-Francorchamps, winning by employing a daring one-stop strategy while other competitors opted for two stops.
Russell finished just 0.526 seconds ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton, with Oscar Piastri trailing in third place by 1.173 seconds. However, the results shifted about 70 minutes after the race concluded.
The #63 Mercedes was discovered to be 1.5 kg under the required minimum weight of 798 kg as stipulated in Article 4.1 of F1’s technical regulations, following a post-race fuel drain.
Describing the situation as “heartbreaking,” Russell had to see Hamilton claim his 105th grand prix victory. This incident raises the question: who else has faced disqualification after winning in F1?
James Hunt – Disqualified from the 1976 British Grand Prix for failing to complete a full lap after a red flag
Official winner of the 1976 British Grand Prix: Niki Lauda, Ferrari
James Hunt celebrates victory on the podium. He would later be disqualified from the results.
Photo by: Motorsport Images
Hunt faced his first disqualification of the 1976 season during round four at Jarama, where he initially won by 30.97 seconds. His victory was first nullified due to his McLaren being 1.5 cm wider than regulations permitted, with Niki Lauda declared the official winner; however, following an appeal by McLaren, Hunt’s win was restored two months later due to the minimal margin.
Yet, just a couple of weeks later, Hunt encountered a definitive disqualification when his victory at Brands Hatch was awarded to Lauda, following a major first-corner crash that involved Hunt and several others colliding with a spinning Clay Regazzoni, who had attempted to pass Lauda for the lead on the first lap.
The race was subsequently halted, and Hunt managed to return his damaged car to the pits but was disqualified for utilizing the escape road on Cooper Straight, which meant he had not fully completed the lap when the red flag was displayed, as stewards insisted all drivers needed to finish the lap in its entirety.
That ruling was overturned amidst concerns over crowd disturbances, allowing Hunt to win the restarted race at home. This resulted in protests from Ferrari, Tyrrell, and the Fittipaldi team regarding his inclusion.
Ultimately, Hunt was disqualified from the British GP, handing Lauda the victory, though he went on to clinch that year’s world championship.
Nelson Piquet – Disqualified from the 1982 Brazilian Grand Prix for having an underweight car
Official winner of the 1982 Brazilian Grand Prix: Alain Prost, Renault
Nelson Piquet. Brabham BT49D-Ford Cosworth rests on Keke Rosberg Williams FW07C-Ford Cosworth and Alain Prost, Renault RE30B on the podium
Photo by: Motorsport Images
Piquet became the first driver to lose a race win due to an underweight car after taking victory at the 1982 Brazilian GP in Rio de Janeiro, a race considered one of the toughest in F1 history amid sweltering conditions, which took a toll on many drivers, including Riccardo Patrese, who retired from heat exhaustion.
The Brazilian, too, faced difficulties, often resting his head on one hand. However, Piquet had too much at stake to withdraw, battling fiercely with Gilles Villeneuve and Keke Rosberg for the lead. He ultimately emerged victorious as Villeneuve spun during the race, handing Piquet the lead, while Rosberg fell back to second.
Despite appearing victorious, Piquet fainted on the podium, only to discover that both he and Rosberg had been disqualified post-race for being underweight. The issue stemmed from the ballast water tank used to cool the brakes, which gradually emptied during the race and was supposed to be refilled afterward to pass scrutiny. However, both teams were caught red-handed.
This disqualification promoted Alain Prost of Renault to the victory in the 1982 Brazilian GP, while the ballast water tanks were subsequently banned seven months later.
Alain Prost – Disqualified from the 1985 San Marino Grand Prix for having an underweight car
Official winner of the 1985 San Marino Grand Prix: Elio de Angelis, Lotus
Alain Prost, McLaren MP4-2B TAG.
Photo by: Motorsport Images
While Prost had previously benefited from disqualifications during the 1982 Brazilian GP, he also found his own victory stripped in 1985 for an underweight car in Imola.
Fuel shortages dominated the 1985 San Marino GP, with several drivers including Nigel Mansell, Stefan Johansson, Ayrton Senna, Piquet, and Martin Brundle stopping in the final laps due to the day’s strict fuel cap of 220 litres.
Prost even ran out of fuel on the cooldown lap, with his engineer Tim Wright indicating to Autosport that the McLaren was designed to be as light as possible; however, the loss of fluids was unaccounted for.
Prost’s MP4/2B registered as 2 kg below the 580 kg minimum weight, leading to his disqualification post-race. This catapulted Lotus’ Elio de Angelis to victory, achieving his second and final grand prix win without ever leading the race, while three other drivers had led at various points during the closing laps.
Ayrton Senna – Disqualified from the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix for rejoining the track illegally via a push start from marshals
Official winner of the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix: Alessandro Nannini, Benetton
Alain Prost, McLaren, Ayrton Senna, McLaren
Photo by: Sutton Images
Senna’s disqualification at the 1989 Japanese GP is often cited as one of the most controversial in F1 history. The Brazilian driver lost his victory after rejoining the track improperly through the assistance of marshals, which allowed Prost to secure his third world championship on that day.
The two McLaren rivals were locked in a fierce battle for the lead until a collision occurred on lap 47 when Prost attempted to maneuver into the Suzuka chicane just as Senna made an inside move, resulting in both cars veering off the track.
While Prost exited his vehicle promptly, Senna, aware that his title ambitions would die if he did not continue, sought help from the marshals to push his McLaren down the escape route to get back into the race and ultimately cross the finish line first after overtaking Alessandro Nannini.
However, post-race scrutiny awarded Nannini the win as Senna was disqualified for the outside assistance he received and for skipping the chicane during the collision.
Senna suspected that he was disqualified so that FISA President Jean-Marie Balestre could ensure that Prost, a fellow Frenchman, would clinch the championship. Despite an unsuccessful appeal from McLaren, the team incurred a $100,000 fine, and Senna faced a six-month suspended ban.
Michael Schumacher – Disqualified from the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix for illegal skid block wear on his car
Official winner of the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix: Damon Hill, Williams
Damon Hill, Williams, won the 1994 Belgian GP after Michael Schumacher, Benetton, was disqualified
Photo by: Sutton Images
Michael Schumacher was the last prominent F1 driver to be disqualified after a race win before Russell’s recent incident, following a dominant performance in the 1994 Belgian GP that initially saw him win by 13 seconds.
However, post-race inspections revealed that his skid blocks had worn down by more than 1 mm, which led to his disqualification. Skid blocks are wooden components installed beneath the car that help maintain ride height and lessen ground effect benefits. This particular rule was implemented just two races prior in Germany.
The disqualification granted victory to Damon Hill, reducing his championship gap to Schumacher to 21 points as five races remained, although the German ultimately secured his first title later that year, amid a contentious final collision in Adelaide.
Watch: Weight A Minute – The F1 Belgian Grand Prix News From the Paddock
