Mercedes has attributed several factors to George Russell’s exclusion from the Belgian Grand Prix. The team suspects that the plank on Russell’s car, the W15, suffered wear and contributed to the car coming in underweight. This resulted in Russell losing the win in the Formula 1 race at Spa.
Russell executed a one-stop race strategy at Spa-Francorchamps, overtaking his teammate Lewis Hamilton and securing a Mercedes 1-2 finish. However, during post-race scrutineering checks, it was discovered that Russell’s car weighed 1.5 kilograms below the FIA’s minimum weight limit of 798kg. As a result, he was inevitably excluded from the race.
Mercedes has acknowledged a miscalculation on their part. Initially, they believed that increased tire wear due to one less pit stop could explain the weight deficit. However, further investigation has revealed that the wear on the plank and even Russell’s own weight loss were also contributing factors.
Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes Trackside Engineering Director, expressed disappointment over the situation. The team is currently working to understand exactly what happened and is collecting data on the weights of different components. During a race, a car can lose weight due to tire wear, plank wear, brake wear, and oil consumption. Additionally, drivers themselves can lose weight, and in this particular race, Russell experienced significant weight loss.
Shovlin clarified that both Russell and Hamilton’s cars weighed the same before the race, so there was no reason to anticipate this issue. The discrepancy arose because Russell’s car experienced higher tire wear, resulting in more material loss on the plank.
Mercedes intends to analyze the data collected and refine their processes to prevent similar incidents in the future. Shovlin also dismissed claims that Russell’s lighter car provided him with a significant advantage in terms of lap time compared to Hamilton. While there is an associated gain with a lighter car, the difference in lap time is minimal, amounting to hundredths of a second per lap. The small weight difference of one or two kilos does not significantly impact lap times.
