What Do Mercedes Feel About George Russell At Spa?

One of the more common sites upon the conclusion of a Formula 1 Grand Prix is a driver stepping out of the car and within seconds, going for a weight check. Given the enormity of competition and the sheer physical rigour involved- drivers operating at strenuous G-Forces- one tends to shed around 3 and sometimes, even 4 kilos each race.

It is a proven fact. There is no need to produce any evidence to stake this claim. It is all out there, and firmly established.

One could call this a common or recurring phenomenon in F1

But was that the reason that may have worsened the situation with respect to George Russell given his subsequent race result at Spa-Francorchamps, home to the endlessly beautiful and utterly competitive Belgian Grand Prix?

Moreover, was George Russell being a few kilos lighter coupled with the car being under-weight at a level that would’ve been permissible or termed fair responsible for the team’s bittersweet race result at Spa?

While you and I could disagree or if not, then come up with our own versions and theories for the same, it turns out that this is exactly the reason that Mercedes have offered now that dust has settled on the Belgian Grand Prix of 2024.

Having said that, it is important to clearly reflect on what explanation was offered by Toto Wolff, one of the most popular, successful and noted team principals in the world of F1 on this matter.

The famed Austrian alluded to the fact that George Russell losing some weight at the end of the hugely-popular and now, widely noted 2024 Belgian Grand Prix had a thing or two to do with the car’s legality of weight, now that it has been noted to be clearly under-weight.

Upon the conclusion of the action-packed 44-lap Grand Prix battle at Spa-Francorchamps, George Russell being underweight, the driver originally the race winner ahead of Hamilton, only exacerbated the woes of the W15, which was found to be 1.5 kg lighter than the permissible weight limit.

Trouble for George Russell, something unexpected at Spa

This, without much doubt, did not help the cause of the Mercedes team, widely known as Silver Arrows.

However, Spa’s 2024 run wasn’t a dark day as such for the Silver Arrows as Russell’s eventual disqualification prompted the man, back then in P2, to become the race winner. And it was a personality that is widely loved and hugely respected both on and off the grid: Sir Lewis Hamilton. Therefore, not really a double whammy for the Wolff-led team!

Having said that, it is noted that Mercedes’s Andrew Shovlin made a few observations as well with regard to the George Russell fiasco at Spa. The gentleman happens to the team’s trackside engineering director. Mr. Shovlin shared that factors like tyre wear that occurred at a rate that was higher-than-expected also further contributed to Mercedes’ weight issues, which was something the FIA stewards took a close look at.

But needless to say, a 1-2, which was originally the Mercedes outcome at Belgium would certainly have been the ideal outcome. And it’s precisely the thing that didn’t quite live to see the end of the day.