Leclerc 'Of Course' Feeling Sorry For Russell As He Suggests Weight Didn't Make Difference
F1
Charles Leclerc reacted to news of moving up into the P3 podium finish after the race as George Russell, who finished in P1, got disqualified.
Mercedes driver George Russell outsmarted all his rivals when he went for a risky one-stop strategy after starting the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix from P6.
He was able to nurse his tires all the way to the finish line, which he crossed in P1. However, the long second stint would later become a contributing factor in his disqualification.
The 26-year-old's car was found to be 1,5 kg underweight, which is against the rules. Why was it underweight? Mercedes suspects that Russell took too much rubber off his tires (it is possible it could be around 1,5 kg) by running an extra long stint.
While it is unfortunate, it is no excuse (as Toto Wolff noted) because it is something that all the teams are supposed to factor into their calculations.
The three drivers who benefited the most from Russell's disqualification were Lewis Hamilton, who inherited the victory; Daniel Ricciardo, who moved up into the top 10; and Charles Leclerc, who moved up into P3.
Asked on his way out of the paddock whether he felt sorry for the disqualified Mercedes driver, Charles Leclerc told Sky Sports F1:
"Of course. You don't want to do a podium with disqualification of one of your colleagues that have done a incredible job today."
It is estimated that 10kg of weight makes for about 0.35 seconds per lap difference in F1. If we do the math, that would be a 0.0525 seconds per lap advantage for Russell (with a car 1,5 kg lighter)—not much.
Moreover, it is important to consider that if his car was underweight purely due to excessive tire wear, he only had this advantage at the end of the race, and it is so marginal that it would not be a deciding factor in his victory most likely.
The Monegasque Ferrari driver knows that, which is why he also said it wouldn't have made the difference. On the other hand, rules need to be followed, and Leclerc, who was disqualified from the 2023 United States Grand Prix, knows the deal. He added:
"It's not the difference in weight that made him win, they won because they were the stronger team today."
However, with these things, it’s difficult to make an exception, and it’s understandable that they got disqualified. But it’s unfortunate because he did an amazing job, as did Mercedes. But yeah, it’s part of racing."
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