Mercedes’ George Russell, who won last month’s Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, seemed poised to become only the second driver with multiple victories in the 2024 Formula 1 season after Sunday’s Belgian Grand Prix at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. However, following the 44-lap race on the 19-turn, 4.352-mile (7.004-kilometer) course in Stavelot, Belgium, Russell’s car was found to be underweight. This resulted in his disqualification, marking the first time a race winner has been disqualified in Formula 1 since 1994.
Lewis Hamilton, Russell’s teammate, was subsequently promoted to first place and officially recorded as the race winner. This unexpected win came after the podium celebrations had already taken place, making it one of the most unconventional victories in Hamilton’s career, bringing his total to 105 Formula 1 race wins.
Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, who finished third, did not have the chance to celebrate on the podium alongside Hamilton and new runner-up Oscar Piastri from McLaren.
Before this race, there had been seven different winners across the first 13 races of the 24-race 2024 Formula 1 schedule. Despite being on a three-race losing streak, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen was still the only driver with multiple wins in 2024, having secured seven victories.
The other winners this season included Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc, Piastri, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Jr., and McLaren’s Lando Norris. The top four teams have significantly distanced themselves from the rest of the competition. With Verstappen’s streak on the line, a win for his teammate Sergio Perez could have made him the eighth different winner of the season. Despite starting from the front row, Perez did not have a significant impact on the race and finished in eighth place, later promoted to seventh after Russell’s disqualification. Verstappen, the fastest qualifier, started 11th due to an engine penalty and finished fifth, later promoted to fourth.
