Damon Hill pinpoints two reasons potentially behind George Russell’s Belgian GP disqualification

Former F1 world champion Damon Hill highlighted the main reason for George Russell's car being underweight at Belgian GP.

Damon Hill pinpoints two reasons potentially behind George Russell’s Belgian GP disqualification

Damon Hill and George Russell (via IMAGO)

George Russell lost his victory at the Belgian Grand Prix because he was disqualified after the race, as his car was underweight. This disqualification canceled out all his efforts to hold off Lewis Hamilton and finish in first place. Hamilton, who secured second place, was promoted to first after this incident. Ex-F1 champion Damon Hill explained two reasons for his disqualification.

Damon Hill stated the potential reason for George Russell’s disqualification. He mentioned the Briton made only one pitstop during the race, which noted he used his one set of tires for a long time. During the race, tires worn out by the driver continue at high speed. This leads them to become thinner and make them lighter eventually. Hill reckoned, this reduced weight of the tires might be one of the reasons for his disqualification.

He did 1 stop. So tires on the limit of wear = less weight.
Damon Hill wrote on X
YouTube video

Further, Hill suggested another reason for Russell’s disqualification. He stated normally after the race drivers often have a cool down lap, where they can pick up extra bits of rubber from the track with the tires. This helps them add weight to their car, which is important to meet the minimum weight limit mentioned. However, since the young Briton didn’t go for his extra lap, he eventually missed the chance of adding some weight. Therefore, Hill reckoned this could be another factor after one pitstop that disqualified him from the race.

FS Video
There was no 'cool down' lap where he could 'add weight' by picking up discarded rubber on the track with his sticky tyres. A much used and legal method to ensure maximum car weight.
Damon Hill stated.
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George Russell and Lewis Hamilton

Charles Leclerc expressed his condolences on George Russell’s disqualification

Many drivers commented on George Russell’s situation post race, one of them was Charles Leclerc. The Ferrari driver said it is tough for Russell getting disqualified despite performing the best on the grid. He stated that It was difficult for him to celebrate the podium with his colleague who had put in a lot of effort. Leclerc also pointed out that the issue with the weight of the car wasn’t the reason Russell performed so well. He believed the Briton’s skill and abilities worked for him and not luck.

Yeah of course, obviously you never want to do a podium with a disqualification of one of your colleagues. They have done an incredible job today and it’s not the difference of the weight that made him win.
Charles Leclerc explained.
Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc (via IMAGO)

Charles Leclerc highlighted that although the disqualification of Russell and Mercedes is understandable, it’s still unfortunate. He noted the 26-year-old and his team performed excellently, and it’s disappointing their efforts weren’t rewarded due to disqualification. However, the Monegasque also mentioned that such situations are a normal part of racing and everyone must accept it. Therefore, while he felt bad for his colleague, he recognized such issues are part of racing that happen in the sport.

It's understandable that they got disqualified but it’s unfortunate because he has done an incredible job as well as Mercedes. But it’s part of racing.
Charles Leclerc added.

Certainly, Charles Leclerc wasn’t very happy with securing P3 because of George Russell’s disqualification from first place. He stated they won because they were the strongest team and it wasn’t just luck. Leclerc highlighted that Mercedes put in significant effort during the race but did not receive any reward for it.

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