Know more about the F1 FIA car minimum weight rule as George Russell is in headlines after he was disqualified from the results of Belgian Grand Prix 2024
For the unversed, the 26-year-old was disqualified from the tournament after his Mercedes was found to be underweight following the race.
Russellโs impressive one-stop strategy kept him ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton late in the race at Spa, despite Hamiltonโs dominance throughout most of the event.
What is the F1 car FIA minimum weight rule without fuel in 2024 which disqualified George Russell from the Belgian GP
Heartbreakingโฆ We came in 1.5kg underweight and have been disqualified from the race.
We left it all on the track today and I take pride in crossing the line first.
There will be more to come.๐๐ pic.twitter.com/6RfucAqPyF
— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) July 28, 2024
Russell initially secured his third F1 career Grand Prix win, but one hour and ten minutes after the race, a report by FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer cast doubt on the result.
About F1 Car Weight Rule
The rule that nullified Russellโs victory, handing Hamilton his second win of the season, is Article 4.1 of F1โs technical regulations concerning the โminimum massโ of each car.
The rule states: โThe mass of the car, without fuel, must not be less than 798kg at all times during the competition. If a car is not fitted with dry-weather tyres, its mass will be determined using a set of dry-weather tyres selected by the FIA technical delegate.โ
This rule applies throughout the race weekend, but cars being underweight is only checked post-qualifying and post-race.
Russellโs car was weighed after the Spa race and was found to be at the 798kg limit. However, it still had to be drained of fuel, with enough left in the tank to fulfill Article 6.5.2.
Lewis Hamilton inherits the #BelgianGP victory following George Russell's disqualification#F1 pic.twitter.com/HIJxfqnum2
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 28, 2024
This states: โCompetitors must ensure that a 1.0-litre sample of fuel may be taken from the car at any time during the competition.โ
What Did Report Say?
In this case, only the first part of the rule was relevant. As per report, when Russellโs car was drained of 2.8 liters to fulfill the 1.0-litre fuel sample required by Article 6.5.2, fuel was left in the car, which is not allowed.
It appeared that when the car was next weighed, fuel was still on board. The car was found to be 796.5kg in two additional checks on the FIAโs equipment, dropping it below the 798kg limit required by Article 4.1 by 1.5kg.
Nearly 40 minutes after Mercedes appeared before the stewards, Russellโs disqualification was announced.