George Russell has been disqualified from the Belgium GP in spite of winning the race. His car was found to be 1.5kg lighter upon inspection after the race, meaning his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton was pushed up to first place from second.
The seven-time World Champion was joined by Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc on the podium while defending champion Max Verstappen finished fourth after the updated results.
George Russell disqualified from Belgium GP
Heartbreaking… We came in 1.5kg underweight and have been disqualified from the race.
— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) July 28, 2024
We left it all on the track today and I take pride in crossing the line first.
There will be more to come.🏆💙 pic.twitter.com/6RfucAqPyF
“We have to take our disqualification on the chin”
“We have clearly made a mistake and need to ensure that we learn from it. To lose a one-two finish is frustrating and we can only apologise to George who drove such a strong race,” Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said after the decision.
“Lewis was the fastest guy on the two-stop strategy and is a deserving winner.”
Russell will no doubt be disappointed with the result as he fought to the top spot from sixth place in the grid. However, it only adds to his credibility and spices up the championship race, with Verstappen unable to hit heights of the previous season.
Who is leading the driver’s championship?
Max Verstappen, 277 points