Martin Brundle clarified that Formula 1 has no expectations regarding George Russell’s incident at the Belgian GP. The last race before the summer break witnessed significant drama involving Mercedes and the young British driver. Russell emerged as the winner of the Belgian GP at Spa, but it was later discovered that his car was 1.5kg under the required weight after the race. As a result, the stewards intervened and disqualified Russell for violating the regulations. The victory was subsequently awarded to his teammate who secured second place in the race. Brundle expressed his views on the matter.
According to Martin Brundle, when George Russell’s car was disqualified for being underweight, no exceptions were made. He emphasized that allowing minor deviations, such as Russell’s car being only half a kg lighter than the minimum weight, would have created inconsistencies. Brundle highlighted the potential unfairness in the sport if one car was penalized for being underweight while another car faced no consequences for a similar issue. This could have sparked further disputes and raised questions about the fairness of Formula 1.
Brundle further stated that rules are rules in Formula 1 and they must be adhered to. He emphasized the importance of not disregarding the law within the sport. The rules are in place for a reason, and it is essential for everyone, including teams, drivers, and officials, to follow them without any exceptions.
According to Martin Brundle, it is plausible that George Russell’s car could have ended up being underweight due to their one-stop strategy. If Russell had opted for a single pit stop with optimal hard tire grip, it could have reduced the car’s weight. Brundle explained that using hard tires and implementing a unique strategy could have resulted in lower fuel consumption and other factors, ultimately making the car lighter during the race.
Brundle also mentioned that if it had rained, the car would have been weighed with specific dry tires, which is ironic. However, since the weather was dry, George Russell and his team were unable to switch the tires for a different set to meet the regulations. This created a situation where the car’s weight was measured under conditions that did not allow for any adjustments. Consequently, it was discovered that the car’s weight was below the minimum requirement, leading to disqualification.
Martin Brundle highlighted certain scenarios where the disqualification could have been avoided. He believed that if the team had chosen medium or soft tires, the car’s weight could have been maintained within the required limits. Therefore, the regulations regarding tire measurement resulted in an ironic situation for Mercedes and George Russell, who had to sacrifice his victory.
