George Russell’s Belgian F1 GP disqualification hands Lewis Hamilton victory

• Russell’s Mercedes found to be below allowable weight
• Oscar Piastri promoted to second, Charles Leclerc third

George Russell ran the full gamut of emotion from euphoria to ­heartbreak in what must have been the most painful race of his career. The ­British driver had won the ­Belgian Grand Prix only to have the ­victory whisked away two hours later when his ­Mercedes was discovered to have been ­underweight. The sport reminded all that it could be ­unpredictable, beguiling and then brutally cruel in one fell swoop, as his disqualification meant victory was passed to his teammate Lewis Hamilton.

As the slings and arrows go, even fortune herself might feel this went beyond the outrageous. Yet there can be no argument; as Mercedes acknowledged, they had failed within a part of the regulations where there is simply no grey area.