Hamilton and Leclerc disqualified from United States Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have both been disqualified from the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix. During post-race inspection of all cars, The FIA found irregularities after a plank wear inspection was completed.

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

The report and issues were referred to the stewards. Hamilton had finished a brilliant second wtih Leclerc finishing in sixth.

Both teams sent a representative to speak to the stewards, and as one might imagine, the argued that “the high wear on the skid pads was probably a result of the unique combination of the bumpy track and the Sprint race schedule that minimized the time to set up and check the car before the race.”

However, the Stewards ruled that “the onus is on the competitor to ensure that the car is in compliance with the regulations at all times during an event. In this particular case, the rear skid in the area defined in the Technical Delegate’s report was outside of the thresholds outlined in Article 3.5.9 e) of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations, which includes a tolerance for wear.”

The disqualification moves Norris up to second and Carlos Sainz to the podium places. Sergio Perez moves to fourth and extends his lead over Hamilton in the fight for second in the drivers’ championship.

The big winners were Williams who now score with both cars, Alex Albon inheriting ninth place and Logan Sargeant grabbing his first F1 point with P10 in his home race.