Disqualification of George Russell at the Belgian Grand Prix 2024

vvThe Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) has disqualified George Russell after the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix race. Russell's car did not comply with technical regulations, resulting in the loss of his victory, which was awarded to Lewis Hamilton.

Investigation and Discovery of the Infringement

After the race, the FIA issued a statement indicating that Russell's car did not meet the minimum required weight of 798 kilos. The stewards investigated the case and, upon confirming the violation, decided to disqualify the British driver. This decision benefited Hamilton, who moved up to first place on the podium.

Consequences and Adjustments in the Classification

Russell's disqualification caused changes in the final race standings, allowing all drivers to advance one position. This incident highlights the importance of strictly adhering to the technical regulations established by the FIA to ensure fairness in the competition.

The technical report detailed that the car had not been fully drained according to the specified procedure by the team, leading to its disqualification. The FIA confirmed the disqualification after the stewards reviewed the case, promoting Hamilton to first place, followed by Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc.

Team Statements

The Mercedes team accepted the stewards' verdict. Team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged that the decision was a hard blow for Russell but emphasized the importance of learning from these mistakes for future races.

Wolff explained that the team had followed all required procedures but accepted that there were no mitigating circumstances and that the error was genuine. He added that, although the disqualification was difficult to accept, they had to face the consequences and improve going forward.