George Russell secured a remarkable victory at the Belgian Grand Prix with a daring strategy and a tense battle against teammate Lewis Hamilton in the closing laps.
However, George Russell’s remarkable win at the Belgian Grand Prix is under threat as his Mercedes car was found 1.5kg underweight after the race, potentially leading to disqualification.
Shortly after the race concluded, officials discovered Russell’s car was lighter than the permissible weight limit. This discrepancy has raised concerns, and the matter has been escalated to the stewards for review.
In cases of weight infractions, F1 regulations rarely offer leniency. If disqualified, Russell’s victory would be nullified, and Lewis Hamilton, who had led the race for much of its duration after overtaking Charles Leclerc early on, could be declared the winner.
Starting from pole, Charles Leclerc led briefly before Lewis Hamilton overtook him early in the race. Hamilton, a four-time winner at Spa-Francorchamps, appeared strong throughout.
While most drivers opted for a two-stop strategy, Russell chose a risky one-stop approach, pitting only once on Lap 10 of 44. This decision meant managing aging tires late in the race, adding drama to his pursuit of victory.
In the final laps, Hamilton closed in on Russell, applying intense pressure.
Despite coming close, Hamilton couldn’t find a way past his teammate, with Russell holding on to win by just half a second.
Behind the Mercedes duo, Oscar Piastri secured third place for McLaren, while Charles Leclerc finished fourth in the Ferrari. Max Verstappen recovered from P11 to finish fifth for Red Bull.
Lando Norris battled to sixth place for McLaren, with Carlos Sainz following in seventh for Ferrari. Sergio Perez of Red Bull struggled to eighth after losing position to Sainz late in the race.
Valtteri Bottas finished 16th, Yuki Tsunoda 17th, Logan Sargeant 18th, and Nico Hulkenberg 19th. Zhou Guanyu retired due to a hydraulic issue.
Formula 1 now enters its summer break before returning for the Dutch Grand Prix on August 23-25.
