PremiumF1 Belgian Grand Prix 2024: George Russell clinches one-stop win, but gets disqualified
Russell kept his teammate Lewis Hamilton at bay and won, but then the latter was declared winner after all. Here’s what transpired…
Last Updated: 11.01 PM, Jul 28, 2024
On race day at the Belgian Grand Prix, Mercedes managed a 1-2 finish, even though, the drivers, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton did not begin with pole advantage. Russell was the first to take the checkered flag ahead of his teammate Hamilton, after managing a one pit-stop only race, making it his second victory of the season. However, not long after the race, Russell was disqualified by race stewards, as his car was found to be underweight in post-race checks.
According to Formula 1 regulations, the minimum weight required is 798 kgs, but after Russell’s car was completely drained of fuel, it went under the limit, clocking in at 796.5 kgs. Technical delegates referred their findings to the race stewards, with a disqualification being mooted, unless the Mercedes could explain the discrepancy. This did not happen, which meant that Mercedes still had a winner on the team, but it was Hamilton.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, now moves to P2, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc takes P3, narrowly edging out Max Verstappen from a podium finish. Verstappen, who had set the fastest time in qualifying on Saturday and clinched pole position, had been given a 10-place grid penalty owing to an engine change on his car, which meant he began the race placed 11th.
The Dutchman managed to move up the order, and got himself valuable points that keep him well ahead of Lando Norris in the Drivers’ Championship tally. His teammate Sergio Perez, finished in 8th position, which will now be bumped up to 7. Verstappen now has 275 points, while Norris has 197. Leclerc is in third position with 174, while Oscar Piastri has 164. Today’s win has moved Hamilton ahead of teammate Russell, by 2 points, with the former now in 6th position with 143 points.
With 10 races to go in the 2024 racing calendar and Verstappen far from the dominating force that he was in 2023, the Drivers’ Championship is still wide open and up for grabs to any of the top 8 drivers. In the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull Racing is still in the lead, but the gap between them and McLaren is only 43 points. Ferrari, which was in second place prior to the Belgian Grand Prix has fallen to third now.
The Belgian Grand Prix was the last race before the summer break, with the Dutch Grand Prix set to take place between August 23 and 25. All the F1 action can be streamed on FanCode in India.