Formula One racing is a sport of fine margins, where outcomes are often determined by tenths of a second. This was starkly evident at the recent Belgian Grand Prix, where George Russell crossed the finish line ahead of his Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton by just 0.526 seconds. However, the elation was short-lived as Russell’s car was disqualified for being underweight.
The disqualification occurred after the FIA, the sport’s governing body, found Russell's car to weigh 796.5kg, below the mandatory 798kg minimum. The scales confirmed the underweight figure twice as the fuel drained from his car was measured. With no recourse, both Russell and Mercedes had to accept the disqualification.
Unexpected Twist
This event was particularly dramatic because incidents of cars being disqualified for being underweight are rare. The last notable occurrence was in 2006 when Robert Kubica’s BMW was disqualified after the Hungarian Grand Prix for being 2kg under the minimum weight. Unlike Kubica's race, which involved crash damage, Russell's Mercedes crossed the finish line intact.
A Strategy Backfires
Additionally, the disqualification highlighted a bold but ultimately flawed strategy by Mercedes. Russell drove from lap 10 to lap 44 on a hard compound tyre, which was a gamble given the team had not run these tyres at any point during the weekend. Heavy rain during Saturday’s final practice session had left teams without an opportunity to evaluate performance under dry conditions.
F1 tyres generally weigh around 42kg when new but can shed up to 3kg during prolonged use. This loss of rubber may have been a contributing factor to the car's underweight tally. Mercedes had opted for a one-stop strategy, which allowed less room for error in maintaining car weight within the permissible limits.
Challenges at Spa-Francorchamps
The Spa-Francorchamps circuit is notorious for its challenging layout and length of 4.3 miles. Recent resurfacing of large sections in sectors one and three added to the unpredictability. Furthermore, at Spa, drivers do not complete a cooldown lap after crossing the chequered flag, a practice that allows them to pick up discarded rubber and debris, potentially adding up to 2kg to the car's weight. This nuance likely exacerbated the situation for Russell.
Investigation Underway
Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes' engineering director, acknowledged the need for a thorough investigation: “We don't yet understand why the car was underweight following the race but will investigate thoroughly to find the explanation. 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' team principal Toto Wolff echoed this sentiment. “We have to take it on the chin. We have clearly made a mistake and need to ensure we learn from it.” He further added, “We expect that the loss of rubber from the one-stop was a contributing factor, and we’ll work to understand how it happened. To lose a one-two is frustrating, and we can only apologise to George, who drove such a strong race.”
Driver Reaction
Despite the disappointment, Russell remained remarkably composed. Immediately after the race, he praised his team with an “Amazing strategy, guys!” reflecting his initial elation. However, the gravity of the disqualification hit hard, prompting him to describe the ordeal as “Heartbreaking” on social media.
The Belgian Grand Prix's turn of events has certainly given Mercedes plenty to ponder. Ensuring that the issue of underweight cars doesn’t recur will be at the forefront of their priorities as they continue their season. The team’s ability to bounce back from this setback will be critical in maintaining momentum and focus.