George Russell of Mercedes, who won the Austrian Grand Prix last month, seemed poised to become the second driver to secure multiple victories in the 2024 Formula 1 season at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday. However, after the 44-lap race at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Russell’s car was found to be underweight, leading to the first disqualification of a race winner in Formula 1 since 1994.
As a result, Lewis Hamilton was elevated from second place to officially claim the victory, making it one of the most unconventional of his record 105 career wins. Charles Leclerc, who initially finished third, did not get to celebrate on the podium alongside Hamilton and Oscar Piastri, who was promoted to second place.
Entering the race, there had been seven different winners in the first 13 races of the 2024 season, which features a record 24-race schedule. Despite a three-race losing streak, Max Verstappen of Red Bull was the only driver with multiple wins, having secured seven victories.
The season’s other winners included Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc, Piastri, Carlos Sainz Jr. of Ferrari, and Lando Norris of McLaren. With the top four teams dominating the season, Verstappen’s streak seemed likely to continue, barring a win by his teammate Sergio Perez. However, despite starting from the front row, Perez finished in eighth place, moving up to seventh after Russell’s disqualification.