Russell Disqualified, Hamilton Claims First Win of 2024

George Russell put on a display of tire management mastery on his way to what initially was a win in the Belgium grand Prix. However, after the race Russell was stripped of the win due to a technical breach related to the minimum weight of his car after the race.

FIA Releases the Decision to DQ Russell

The official statement reads, “The car was weighed again on the FIA inside and outside scales and the weight was 796.5 kg. The calibration of the outside and inside scales was confirmed and witnessed by the competitor.

As this is 1.5 kg below the minimum weight requested in TR Article 4.1, which also has to be respected at all times during the competition, I am referring this matter to the stewards for their consideration.”

As a result, Hamilton was promoted to P1, while Oscar Piastri moved up to take P2 and Charles Leclerc moves up to P3. After the race the FIA released the following comments from the stewards’ hearing: “During the hearing the team representative confirmed that the measurement is correct and that all required procedures were performed correctly. The team also acknowledged that there were no mitigating circumstances and that it was a genuine error by the team.

The stewards determine that Article 4.1 of the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations has been breached and therefore the standard penalty for such an infringement needs to be applied.”

George Russell Responds to the DQ

Geroge Russell Stated, “It is heartbreaking to be disqualified from today’s race. It had been an unbelievable Grand Prix for us to make the one-stop strategy work. In what turned out to be my final stint, the tyres just kept getting better and better. I was nursing them in the early stages and as we went further, I became more and more convinced we could get to the end on them. It was a risk worth taking and it looked like it had paid off.

“Despite the disqualification, I am of course proud to have crossed the line first. It is also good that the team was still able to take the victory with Lewis. He drove a great race and was the fastest car out there on the two-stop strategy. Whilst I’m incredibly disappointed, I know we will bounce back stronger after the summer break, starting in Zandvoort.”

Sergio Perez Moves Backwards Again

After a recent stretch of bad form Sergio Perez found himself in the hotseat coming into the race weekend. Perez found redemption in qualifying but once again failed to capitalize on the opportunity losing 4 position and finishing P7. To make matters worse, the McLarens out scored the Red Bulls yet again further cutting into the lead that Red Bull established early in the season. The rumor mill is filled with speculation as to whether Red Bull will remove Perez due to lack of performance.

“It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster for me recently, as a Team we need to re-group and take some time during the summer break to understand everything and hopefully we hit the ground running for the second half of the season,” Perez said. “I’m looking forward to getting some time with my family over the break and getting back in to a good training routine and just really resetting. There is still a long championship ahead.”

Final Belgium Grand Prix Results