F1 pundit asserts ‘rules are rules’ over George Russell’s Belgian GP disqualification
Martin Brundle made it clear that Formula 1 has no expections over George Russell's Belgian GP fiasco.
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George Russell Belgian GP (via IMAGO)
The final race before the summer break witnessed major drama involving George Russell and Mercedes. The young Briton won the Belgian GP at Spa, however it was found out that his car was underweight by 1.5kg after the race. The stewards decided to interfere and disqualify Russell from the race for breaching the norms. The win was eventually handed over to his teammate Lewis Hamilton who secured second place in the race. Martin Brundle expressed his opinion on the matter.
Martin Brundle explained that when George Russell‘s car got disqualified for being underweight, there were no exceptions made. He mentioned that If officials started allowing small deviations like Russell’s car being only half a kg lighter than the minimum weight they would have risked creating inconsistencies. Brundle stated that if the 26-year-old’s car was penalized for being underweight while another car was not penalized for a similar issue. This situation could have led to unfairness in the sport. This could have opened the door to more disputes and questions about fairness in Formula 1.
There can be no tolerance for this. By saying, for example, 'it's only half a kilo light, it didn't make any difference', leaves the door open for 'it's only a kilo light.Martin Brundle wrote for SkySportsF1
Further, Brundle stated that rules are rules in Formula 1 and they must be respected. He mentioned that there shouldn’t be any ignorance of law within the sport. The rules are set for a reason, and everyone including teams, drivers, and officials must follow them without exceptions.
Rules most definitely are rules here.Martin Brundle added.
Martin Brundle explained weight variation due to George Russell’s strategy and weather conditions
Martin Brundle explained that it’s quite possible George Russell’s car would’ve ended underweight due to their one-stop strategy. If Russell had used a single pit stop with optimal hard tire grip, the car’s weight could have been reduced. Brundle stated using hard tires and a unique strategy could’ve reduced fuel consumption and other factors, making the car lighter during the race.
It's totally conceivable that Russell going onto a surprise one-stop strategy, with good grip and balance using all four tires hard, that they could easily be a combined 1.5kg lighter.Martin Brundle stated.
Martin Brundle said that if it had rained, the car would have been measured with specific dry tires, ironically. However, since it was dry, George Russell and his team couldn’t switch the tires for a different set to meet the regulations. This created a situation where the car’s weight was measured under conditions that didn’t allow for adjustments. Eventually it was found out the car’s weight reduced than minimum resulting in a disqualification.
Ironically if it was raining the car would have been measured on a selected set of dry tyres, but it's not an option to replace dry tires for another set.Martin Brundle added.
Certainly, Martin Brundle explained situations where the disqualification would’ve been avoided. He believed if the team had opted for medium or soft tires the car’s weight could’ve been maintained perfectly. Thus, the rules for tyre measurement led to an ironic situation for Mercedes and George Russell sacrificing his victory.
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Gaurang Kadam
(535 Articles Published)