- Lewis Hamilton won the 2024 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix
- George Russell was disqualified due to his car being 3.3 pounds too light
- Max Verstappen still leads the 2024 Drivers' Championship, but finished fifth over the weekend
Mercedes-Benz AMG's Lewis Hamilton claimed victory on Sunday at the 2024 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix after teammate George Russell, who was the first to cross the finish line, was disqualified for an underweight car.
A post-race weigh in resulted in Russell's car weighing 796.5 kilograms (approximately 1,756 pounds), or 1.5 less (3.3 pounds) than the minimum. Mercedes cited a “genuine error” as the cause.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri claimed second place in the race which served as round 14 of the 2024 season and took place at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Third place went to Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
Leclerc started the race on pole and was joined at the front by Red Bull Racing's Sergio Perez. The Ferrari driver got a good start but Perez got bogged down and was soon overtaken by Hamilton. Reigning champion Max Verstappen actually qualified quickest on Saturday but started the race at 11th on the grid due to a 10-spot penalty related to a power unit change.
2024 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix - Photo via Mercedes-Benz
After three laps, Hamilton passed Leclerc to claim the lead with a little help from DRS, while behind them Perez was doing his best to hold off Piastri. Drivers soon started to pit for the first of two scheduled tire changes, with Hamilton being the first of the leaders, after which he rejoined in sixth. Russell would make a stop shortly after, though when Hamilton made his second stop on lap 26, with a few other drivers following him, Russell took a gamble and decided to stay out, which handed him the lead spot.
He then did his best to manage his tires to the end of the 44-lap race. Lap after lap, Hamilton would close in on Russell, and with seven laps remaining, Russell was approximately three seconds ahead of Hamilton, with Piastri and Leclerc not far behind. Despite the threat of Hamilton, Russell kept his cool and in the end crossed the finish line first, his gamble paying off, but only just. Hamilton was just half a second behind. It was all in vain though, as Russell was later disqualified.
Further back, Piastri would finish half a second behind Hamilton, and then Leclerc roughly eight seconds behind. Although he delivered impressive pace, Verstappen couldn't catch the leaders and ended up crossing the finish line in fifth.
2024 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix - Photo via Mercedes-Benz
Perez couldn't capitalize on his front-row start. After reporting of battery issues early on, the Mexican driver pushed on, finishing eighth, only slightly behind Ferrari's Carlos Sainz in seventh.
Following the weekend's action, Verstappen still leads the 2024 Drivers' Championship with 277 points. Norris is second with 199 points and Leclerc is third with 177 points. In the Constructors' Championship, Red Bull leads with 408 points. McLaren is second with 366 points and Ferrari is third with 345 points.
Teams now enjoy a summer break before returning for the Dutch Grand Prix on Aug. 25.
2024 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix - Photo via Mercedes-Benz
2024 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix results:
DQ) George Russell, Mercedes-Benz AMG
1) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-Benz AMG +0.526 seconds
2) Oscar Piastri, McLaren +1.173 seconds
3) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari +8.549 seconds
4) Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing +9.226 seconds
5) Lando Norris, McLaren +9.850 seconds
6) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari +19.79 seconds
7) Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing +43.195 seconds
8) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin +49.963 seconds
9) Esteban Ocon, Alpine +52.552 seconds
10) Daniel Ricciardo, RB +54.926 seconds
11) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin +63.011 seconds
12) Alexander Albon, Williams +63.651 seconds
13) Pierre Gasly, Alpine +64.365 seconds
14) Kevin Magnussen, Haas +66.631 seconds
15) Valtteri Bottas, Sauber +70.638 seconds
16) Yuki Tsunoda, RB +76.737 seconds
17) Logan Sargeant, Williams +86.057 seconds
18) Nico Hulkenberg, Haas +88.833 seconds
NC) Zhou Guanyu, Sauber – DNF
