In another case, the 2024 Belgian GP winner by ‘on-track’ racing was Mercedes Formula 1 driver, George Russell, but he came out of the race as a DQ due to his car being underweight. He won what appeared to be a dominating victory at Spa by implementing a one-stop strategy despite being one lap down at one point, overtaking his teammate and race leader Hamilton in the process.
But after the race, some checks were made in the post-race analysis, which showed that his car was 1. 5 kg below the minimum of what the F1 regulations allow which mandates him to exit the race.
Mercedes Investigation During the Summer Break
After the disqualification, Mercedes initiated the inquiry into the circumstances of the underweight problem during the 2024 summer break. Firstly, the team thought that due to the surprise one-stop, he may have lost more mass than was expected from tires, which may be the reason why the car is underweight. Yet, after critically evaluating the race, Mercedes was in a position to deduce that three factors resulted in the disqualification.
The team also noted that apart from the rubber loss from the tires and the mass loss due to the underfloor plank wearing out in the compression of Eau Rouge, he also had a significant amount of in-race weight loss during the hot Spa event. These factors piled up together and led to the fact that the total weight of the car and the driver George Russell was too small when the last drops of fuel were thrown away after the race.
The Weight Margin Issue as Viewed by George Russell
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Speaking unto the matter at the time when Formula One resumed after the break at Zandvoort, George Russell was quizzed whether Mercedes would need to be even more cautious about the weight of the car in light of the disqualification. George Russell’s reply indicated that rather than adding ballast to increase the weight margin, the team may have to modify preliminary race practices, such as new methods of fueling before the race.
He agreed with the fact that he was aware of being ‘a little bit light’ before the race but he could not make a huge change at that time, it would take him to eat something like a steak which cannot be done before the race. He also stressed that the team could manage these problems better in future races due to the experience they gained now.
Life after disqualification
After the disqualification, George Russell revealed that his first feeling was disappointment but now he sees things differently. By saying this he emphasized the fact that racing is all about taking risks and sometimes it can be over the edge, he stated that
I’ve been pushing the team for a long time to keep pushing the boundaries,” he said
Nevertheless, George Russell has not shown any animosity towards the team and seems to be looking forward to the upcoming games. According to him, it will make Mercedes even stronger because of things that have been learned in the process.
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