Belgian GP: Hamilton Wins After Russell’s Post-Race Penalty

George Russell (right) was presented as the race winner during the podium ceremony of the Belgian GP.

Belgian GP, Lewis Hamilton inherited the victory after George Russell was disqualified for being 1.5kg underweight. Russell, who initially claimed an unlikely win with a one-stop strategy saw his car’s weight fall short after the race, leading to his disqualification. This promoted Hamilton, who had been trailing closely to first place. Oscar Piastri moved up to second, Charles Leclerc finished third and Max Verstappen took fourth.

Russell’s car was initially weighed at the minimum limit of 798kg but after the fuel was fully drained, it was found to be 796.5kg. Mercedes admitted to the error and team boss Toto Wolff expressed frustration over losing a potential one-two finish but praised Hamilton’s performance. Hamilton, who initially struggled during the early part of the season had a strong race strategy, making an early pit stop to gain the lead.

Russell’s unexpected one-stop strategy had him defending against Hamilton in the closing laps, but Hamilton’s pace eventually showed. Despite Russell’s impressive drive including holding off Hamilton for several laps, he was ultimately disqualified. Piastri, who finished second in the Belgian GP after Russell’s disqualification, lost time due to an error at his final pit stop. This mistake hindered his ability to challenge the leaders more effectively.

Leclerc managed to hold off Verstappen and McLaren’s Lando Norris, who dropped from fourth to seventh early in the race due to a mistake at the first corner. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez also struggled, falling from second on the grid to the back of the top four, leading to speculation about his future with the team. As Formula 1 heads into its summer break, the championship remains competitive with Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull all in the mix.

Cataleya