F1 News: George Russell Disqualification Leads To Mercedes Investigation

Saajan Jogia | Jul 29, 2024

2024 Belgian Grand Prix, Saturday / Wolfgang Wilhelm

Mercedes admitted that it would launch an investigation into George Russell's Belgian GP disqualification after he won the race. Mercedes trackside engineering chief Andrew Shovlin vowed to get to the root of the cause without 'making excuses.'

Russell bravely opted for a one-stop strategy at Spa while the rest of the grid pitted twice, and went on to win the race ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton after a tight battle at the end.

But to Russell's horror, it was announced a few hours after the race that he had been disqualified as his W15 F1 car was underweight by 1.5 kilograms. While Mercedes suggests the reason was tire wear and the lack of a safety car to save fuel, Shovlin has assured an investigation into the incident. Speaking to the media, he said, as quoted by Racing News 365:

"It's really tough for George to have been disqualified from the win after such an impressive drive.

"He did a brilliant job to hang onto the tires and defend to the finish. We don't yet understand why the car was underweight following the race but will investigate thoroughly to find the explanation. 

"We expect that the loss of rubber from the one-stop was a contributing factor, and we'll work to understand how it happened. 

"We won't be making any excuses though. It is clearly not good enough and we need to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Mercedes had a sigh of relief, considering Hamilton was right behind Russell. That way, the Brackley outfit gained points through the seven-time world champion's victory. Shovlin added:

"It was a relief to have Lewis in second to inherit the victory. He also drove a strong race and was the fastest two-stopping car out there today.

"We can be pleased with the car pace but overall, it's disappointing not to walk away with the 1-2.

"That is particularly true after such a good recovery from one of our most difficult Fridays, and following a race that was so well managed by the team.

"We'll learn from this and be back strong in Zandvoort after the summer break."