George Russell’s stunning victory at the Belgian Grand Prix has been overturned after his Mercedes was found underweight, promoting teammate Lewis Hamilton to first place.
Russell clinched an unlikely win with a strategic one-stop race plan, skillfully managing his tires to stay ahead of Hamilton, who finished just half a second behind.
Post-race inspections revealed Russell’s car initially met weight regulations but was found underweight after 2.8 liters of fuel were removed, not in accordance with the team’s declared procedures.
Following deliberation, the stewards confirmed Russell’s disqualification, citing a breach of FIA regulations.
This decision promotes Hamilton to first place, with Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc moving up to second and third, respectively.
In response to the ruling, Mercedes acknowledged the error, attributing it to a procedural mistake without any mitigating circumstances.
With Russell’s disqualification, Hamilton gains an unexpected victory in a race that saw dramatic shifts in positioning due to technical oversight.
