Déjà Vu in Brussels: 30 Years On, Damon Hill Witnesses George Russell’s Disqualification Echoing Schumacher’s 1994 Controversy

Strange similarity brings back thoughts of Michael Schumacher's disqualification

"That's not the ideal outcome"

Damon Hill found himself at the airport, three decades after learning about Michael Schumacher’s disqualification, when a similar event occurred once more.

George Russell was disqualified from the Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix due to his car being under the required weight, resulting in Lewis Hamilton taking the win.

In 1994, Hill benefited from Schumacher's disqualification, which occurred several hours after the iconic German driver had initially finished in first place.

"I thought I had finished in second place, so I went to Brussels airport feeling down," Hill shared with F1 Nation. "I sat there, frustrated and irritable."

When I arrived at the airport lounge, the Williams team's press officer approached me with a broad grin and said, "Congratulations!"

“She exclaimed, ‘You are the winner of the race!’”

I replied, "I'm sorry, could you clarify what you mean?"

"They discovered that Michael's board was too thin and had clearly deteriorated. The exact cause is unknown to me."

"He got disqualified, which meant I won."

"I was once more at the Brussels airport when I learned that Russell had been disqualified, the same place where I discovered my own disqualification."

In 1994, the rivalry between Benetton's Schumacher and Williams' Hill persisted throughout the entire racing season.

In the end, Schumacher narrowly won the championship over Hill by just one point.

Hamilton secured his second grand prix victory of the year in Belgium, capitalizing on bad luck that befell his teammate.

"This isn't how you would prefer things to unfold," Hill remarked.

"You prefer it to be straightforward and clear-cut."

"The reality is that cars must adhere to the rules or face disqualification. A 10-second penalty isn't an option, nor can you assess the severity of the non-compliance. It boils down to straightforward measurement; something is either exactly one meter long or it isn't. There can't be any approximation."

"The regulations must be followed precisely. He now joins an unlucky group of individuals, like Schumacher, who have been disqualified from winning the Belgian Grand Prix."

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