Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc disqualified from United States Grand Prix for technical breach

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have been disqualified from the United States Grand Prix. Following the race in Austin, their cars underwent inspection by the FIA Technical team, who discovered irregularities during a plank wear inspection.

The Delegate’s Report stated that: “The skids located in the area -825 ≥ XR ≥ – 1025 are not in compliance with Article 3.5.9 e) of the 2023 Formula One Technical Regulations.”

Consequently, both drivers were immediately referred to the stewards.

Hamilton performed brilliantly, finishing in second place and keeping the victorious Max Verstappen under constant pressure until the end. For this event, he was using a new floor as part of Mercedes’ final major upgrade package of the year.

Leclerc crossed the finish line in sixth place, narrowly ahead of George Russell in the second Mercedes, after falling behind due to implementing a less preferred one-stop strategy in the latter stages of the race.

Representatives from both teams met with the stewards, suggesting that “the high wear on the skid pads may be attributed to the combination of the bumpy track and the Sprint race schedule, which left little time for thorough car setup and checks before the race.”

However, the Stewards emphasized that “it is the responsibility of the competitor to ensure compliance with the regulations throughout the entire event. In this particular case, the rear skid in the defined area noted in the Technical Delegate’s report exceeded the thresholds specified in Article 3.5.9 e) of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations, which allow for tolerance in wear.”

As a result of the disqualification, Norris moves up to second place and Carlos Sainz enters the podium positions. Sergio Perez climbs to fourth place and extends his lead over Hamilton in the battle for second in the drivers’ championship.

Russell advances from seventh to fifth, Pierre Gasly to sixth, and Lance Stroll to seventh. Yuki Tsunoda finishes eighth, earning the bonus point for the fastest lap on a successful day for AlphaTauri.

The disqualification also means that both Williams cars score points, with Alex Albon inheriting ninth place and Logan Sargeant securing his first F1 point with a tenth-place finish on home soil.