Formula 1 disqualification extends odd Max Verstappen streak

Mercedes' George Russell, who won last month's Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, appeared to have become just the second driver to win multiple races during the 2024 Formula 1 season in Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.

But after the 44-lap race around the 19-turn, 4.352-mile (7.004-kilometer) road course in Stavelot, Belgium, Russell's Mercedes was found to be underweight, resulting in the first Formula 1 disqualification for a race winner since 1994.

Teammate Lewis Hamilton was promoted from second place and officially scored as the new race winner.

George Russell disqualified

The announcement came after the podium celebrations had already taken place, so Sunday's win was probably the least conventional of Hamilton's record 105 career Formula 1 race victories.

New third place finisher Charles Leclerc of Ferrari did not get to celebrate on the podium along with Hamilton and new runner-up Oscar Piastri of McLaren.

Entering Sunday's race, there had been seven different winners through the first 13 races on the record-breaking 24-race 2024 Formula 1 schedule.

Though he entered the race on a three-race losing streak, his longest since 2021, Red Bull's Max Verstappen was still the only driver with multiple wins in 2024, and he had won seven times.

The other six winners this season are Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc, Piastri, Ferrari's Carlos Sainz Jr., and McLaren's Lando Norris.

Given the fact that the sport's top four teams have separated themselves from the rest of the pack, it appeared as though the only way for Verstappen's streak to continue, aside from a fourth consecutive Belgian Grand Prix victory, was a victory for teammate Sergio Perez to make him the eighth different winner.

But despite Perez's front row starting position, he did not make much of an impact in the race itself and had to settle for eighth place (seventh after Russell's disqualification).

Verstappen, who was by far the fastest qualifier, had to start in 11th place on the grid due to an engine-related grid penalty. He finished in fifth (fourth after Russell's disqualification).

Yet 14 races into the 2024 season, Verstappen is still the only driver to win multiple races and stand atop the podium multiple times.

Russell has stood atop the podium twice but has just one official win, while Hamilton is credited with two wins despite having stood atop the podium only once.

Last year, Verstappen won a record-breaking 19 races, and the only other multi-race winner was Perez with two victories, the latter of which coming all the way back in the season's fourth race in April 2023 at Baku City Circuit. Sainz was the only other winner in 2023, recording a single victory in September.

Verstappen is now on a four-race losing streak, which is his longest since the 2020 season. He had just nine of his 61 career wins at the time.

This streak comes after the 26-year-old Dutchman started the season with seven wins in 10 races, giving him 40 wins in 51 races going back to April 2022.

Formula 1 is now in its annual summer break. The next race on the 2024 schedule is Verstappen's home race, that being the Dutch Grand Prix. ESPN is set to provide live coverage of the race from Circuit Zandvoort beginning at 8:55 a.m. ET on Sunday, August 25. Start a free trial of FuboTV and don't miss any of the action!