British driver George Russell was disqualified post race at the Belgian Grand Prix, despite finishing first. Following his disqualification, his teammate from Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton, was elevated to first place from second.
Upon inspection by the FIA, Russell’s ride was found to be under the acceptable minimum weight, leading to his disqualification. This decision was solidified after confirmation from inspectors, hours after the race had concluded. The audacious one-stop plan that Russell had followed seemingly turned out advantageous initially.
After the revision, Oscar Piastri from McLaren, who finished third, was moved up to the second spot. Similarly, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari was pushed up to the third position from fourth, with his podium celebration cancelled post-race. Race leader Max Verstappen remained in fourth despite starting 11th, while Lando Norris was fifth.
The official confirmation from FIA declared that Russell’s car failed to meet the 798kg weight limit, noting similar readings from two scales at 796.5kg. This process was overseen and certified by a competing delegate.
The team verified the accuracy of the readings during a hearing and indicated successful application of required measurement procedures. They accepted culpability for the error without citing any mitigating circumstances. More details on this matter are expected.