Mercedes breaks silence on George Russell’s shock disqualification from Belgian GP, handing Lewis Hamilton second win of 2024

Toto Wolff admitted the team had done a major mistake after George Russell was disqualified from the Belgian GP.

Mercedes breaks silence on George Russell’s shock disqualification from Belgian GP, handing Lewis Hamilton second win of 2024

George Russell and Lewis Hamilton (via IMAGO)

George Russell won the 2024 Belgian GP when he crossed the checkered flag. Unfortunately, when the stewards reviewed everything, they found his car was underweight, which led to his disqualification. This decision handed the victory to Lewis Hamilton, who had finished in second position. Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff expressed his frustrations on losing crucial 1-2 finish.

Toto Wolff explained that they need to accept George Russell’s disqualification gracefully. He admitted that the team made a major mistake and stressed the importance of learning from it. Wolff planned to review what happened, carefully analyze the situation, and understand exactly what went wrong. This process would help them address the issue and ensure they do not repeat the same mistake in the future. The 52-year-old stated by understanding their errors, they aim to improve and move forward with better practices.

We have to take our disqualification on the chin, We have clearly made a mistake and need to ensure we learn from it. We will go away, evaluate what happened, and understand what went wrong.
Toto Wolff said.
YouTube video

Toto Wolff expressed frustration at losing a 1-2 finish, which was disappointing. He mentioned they could only apologize to George Russell, who had driven exceptionally well throughout the race. The 52-year-old recognized that Russell performed strongly and deserved a better outcome. The team felt sorry for the situation and acknowledged that his hard work and impressive driving did not get the result it should have. Albeit, it is Russell’s teammate, Lewis Hamilton who inherited the victory.

FS Video
To lose a 1-2 is frustrating, and we can only apologize to George, who drove such a strong race.
Toto Wolff added.
RELATED
WATCH: Oscar Piastri pulls off stellar overtake on Charles Leclerc after going wheel-to-wheel at Belgian GP
Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri Belgian GP

Toto Wolff claimed many positives to take from the race despite disappointing loss for George Russell

Wolff highlighted that there were many positives from the race, even though Russell missed out on what would have been his second win of the season. The Austrian billionaire focused on the good aspects of their performance and the progress they made, despite the disappointment of not securing the win. Toto Wolff felt that the race still showed encouraging signs and positive results that they could build on.

Despite the disqualification there were many positive points we could take away from this race.
Toto Wolff stated.
Toto Wolff
Toto Wolff (via IMAGO)

Wolff stated that their car set the standard in today’s race, performing well with two different strategies. He highlighted that just a few months ago, they would have thought such performance was impossible. However the progress team has made, demonstrated that their car now exceeds performance levels they once considered unattainable. This achievement reflected the significant improvement and development of their car over time.

We have a car that was the benchmark in today's race across two different strategies, Only a few months ago, that would been inconceivable.
Toto Wolff noted.

Certainly, Toto Wolff felt sorry for George Russell but pointed out that the team still had many positives to take from the race. Fans felt disappointed by what happened to Russell. However, in Formula 1, where every norm is strict, it was unfortunate for the young Briton. Despite driving well, he had to face an unexpected situation.

In case you missed it: