FIA’s full statement as George Russell’s F1 car underweight by tiny amount at Belgian GP

George Russell emerged victorious over Lewis Hamilton at the Belgian Grand Prix, only to have his win taken away by the F1 stewards when the FIA determined that his Mercedes was under the stipulated weight limit.

The stewards of Formula 1 have officially verified the extent to which George Russell’s car was under the required weight at the conclusion of the Belgian Grand Prix.

Russell, a British driver, managed to secure victory by fending off a strong challenge from his teammate Lewis Hamilton. While Hamilton and most other drivers opted for the anticipated two-stop strategy, Russell only made a single pit stop, a decision that ultimately appeared to have been the right one.

Russell’s pace was enough to hold off Hamilton and cross the finish line first. However, the worn-out tires might have caused his Mercedes to fail the post-race technical checks conducted by the FIA.

Consequently, Russell was disqualified, a common consequence for non-compliance with regulations. This hands the victory to Hamilton, marking his 105th win in F1, while Russell is left waiting for his third win.

The regulations stipulate that a vehicle, along with its driver and tires, must weigh a minimum of 798kg during inspection. However, Russell’s Mercedes was recorded at 796.5kg – a mere 1.5kg below the specified weight.

This information was verified in the official statement released by the FIA, which detailed Russell’s situation and stated: “Car 63 [Russell’s] was weighed using the FIA’s internal and external scales, both of which displayed a consistent weight of 796.5 kg. The accuracy of both scales was validated and observed by the competitor.”

The team representative verified during the hearing that the measurement was accurate and all necessary procedures were carried out correctly. Additionally, the team admitted that there were no mitigating factors and that the mistake was genuine.

The Stewards have concluded that Article 4.1 of the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations was violated, thus requiring the standard penalty for such a breach to be imposed.

Hamilton’s victory has also resulted in Oscar Piastri climbing to second place, with Charles Leclerc now taking a spot on the podium that he had not previously had the opportunity to occupy. Following the disappointment of losing the win, Russell expressed his determination to recover and ensure that he once again stands on the highest step in the near future.

In a social media post, he stated, “Heartbreaking… We were 1.5kg underweight and have been disqualified from the race. We gave our all on the track today and I am proud of finishing first. There is more to look forward to.”