**”George Russell’s One-Stop Strategy Leads to Disqualification: Unpacking the Underweight Controversy at the Belgian Grand Prix”**

Analysis: Why George Russell’s Disqualification Was Due to an Underweight Car

Was George Russell's single pit stop the cause of his disqualification at the Belgian Grand Prix?

George Russell's single pit stop during the F1 Belgian Grand Prix probably caused his car to weigh less than required, which eventually resulted in his disqualification.

Although Russell initially emerged victorious at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit, he was later disqualified from the official results after the FIA conducted their post-race inspections.

This gave Lewis Hamilton his second Formula 1 win of the season, placing him in front of Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc.

Russell's vehicle, though just 1.5kg lighter than the minimum required weight, led to his disqualification by the officials due to strict regulations.

According to Sky Sports' Craig Slater, after speaking with Mercedes, it was indicated that Russell's innovative one-stop strategy might have resulted in his disqualification.

Slater clarified: "The reasons? I received some insights from the Mercedes team regarding why they were under the minimum weight. It was related to Russell's one-stop strategy."

"The teams are fully aware of the precise reduction in weight that occurs as the tires wear out."

"Initially, Russell was anticipated to make two pit stops today. However, after discussing with his pit crew, he decided to switch to just one stop."

"Their car ended up being underweight because they didn't make a second pit stop to change to new tires, causing them to lose several hundred grams per tire due to extra wear."

The team believes that the significant changes made to the car's set-up between Friday (when they decided to discard some of the upgraded parts and revert to older components for the qualifying session and the race) contributed to the outcome.

Another possible reason might be that there was no traditional in-lap at Spa.

Because the Spa circuit is lengthy, drivers return directly to the pit lane after the race concludes, preventing them from collecting rubber.

"Lewis Hamilton’s vehicle met the regulations, but Russell’s did not,” he mentioned. “Additionally, it is believed that Russell’s car did not collect the typical stones and rubber fragments on the way back after the race."

"It is astonishing, but all of these elements are taken into account when teams prepare for a race. They precisely calculate their car's weight requirements, ensuring they stay within the limit without exceeding it. This is crucial since every extra kilogram can cost them around a tenth of a second."

Breaking the regulations could be perceived as gaining an unfair edge. The fuel ensured that the vehicle maintained the proper weight throughout the race. However, the rule regarding the dry weight measurement exists for a particular purpose—it prohibits the use of fuel as a counterweight.

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