Hamilton triumphs as Russell’s Belgian GP win is revoked; Leclerc secures a podium finish.
It was a bitterly disappointing end to the day for the Mercedes F1 team at Spa-Francorchamps, where post-race scrutiny revealed that George Russell’s W15, the initial winner of the Belgian Grand Prix, was in fact below the minimum weight required.
Race stewards first recorded the car weighing 798 kilograms, only to discover additional fuel needed draining. Ultimately, the car tipped the scales at 796.5 kilograms at race end, one and a half kilos under the stipulated minimum.
Adhering strictly to the Technical Regulations, after receiving the file from Jo Bauer, FIA’s technical chief, the stewards disqualified Russell from the race, stripping him of his victory.
Thus, the win was handed to Lewis Hamilton, ensuring Mercedes F1 retained the triumph. Oscar Piastri finished second, followed by Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen. Carlos Sainz took sixth place, with Sergio Pérez in seventh, Fernando Alonso eighth, Esteban Ocon ninth, and Daniel Ricciardo rounded out the top ten, securing the final point.
For a lap-by-lap summary of the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix, click here.
FIA’s ruling stated:
“The stewards met with the representative of car 63 (George Russell), the FIA’s technical delegate, the single-seaters director, and the technical director of single-seaters.”
“The car was weighed using both the FIA’s internal and external scales, both displaying the result of 796.5 kg. The calibration of both scales was verified and certified by the competitor.”
“During the hearing, the team representative confirmed the accuracy of the measurement and that all required procedures had been correctly followed. The team also acknowledged that there were no mitigating circumstances and that it was a genuine team error.”
“The stewards concluded that Article 4.1 of the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations had been violated, and therefore, the standard penalty—a disqualification—must be applied.”
“Competitors are reminded that they have the right to appeal certain steward decisions in accordance with Article 15 of the FIA International Sporting Code and Chapter 4 of the FIA Legal and Disciplinary Regulations, within the applicable timeframes.”
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Confirmed Russell has been disqualified from the Belgian GP Confirmed Russell has been disqualified from the Belgian GP
