Eerie coincidence evokes memories of Michael Schumacher disqualification

Damon Hill was sat in the airport, 30 years after he received news of Michael Schumacher’s disqualification, when lightning struck twice.

George Russell had also been DQ’d from the F1 Belgian Grand Prix because his car was underweight, handing victory to Lewis Hamilton.

Hill, in 1994, was the beneficiary of Schumacher’s DQ several hours after the legendary German had crossed the line first.

“I had that experience of thinking I’d come second, and went dejectedly to Brussels airport,” Hill told F1 Nation. “I sat, and fumed! I was stroppy.

“I got to the lounge in the airport and the [press officer] at Williams came up to me with a big smile, saying ‘congratulations!’

“She said: ‘You have won the race!’

“I said: ‘I am sorry, what do you mean?’

“They’d found that Michael’s plank was too thin. It had obviously worn out. I don’t know the real reason.

“He was disqualified, giving me the win.

“I was sitting in Brussels airport again when I found out Russell was disqualified, exactly where I was when I found out I’d been disqualified.”

In 1994, Benetton driver Schumacher and Williams’ Hill were locked in a season-long feud.

Schumacher would eventually edge Hill to the championship by a single point.

This year, Hamilton claimed a second grand prix win of the year in Belgium due to his teammate’s misfortune.

“That’s not the way you want it to happen,” Hill said.

“You want it clean cut and undisputed.

“But the fact is, cars have to comply with the regulations or be disqualified. You can’t be given a 10-second penalty, or you can’t judge what the value of the irregularity is. It’s the simple business of measurement, something is either one metre long or it isn’t. It can’t be ‘about’ one metre long.

“It has to be exactly within the regs. He can consider himself in an unfortunate club of people who have been disqualified from winning the Belgian Grand Prix, including Schumacher.”