23 October 2023 , 00:19
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Lewis Hamilton has been disqualified from the United States Grand Prix and stripped of his podium finish.
The seven-time world champion had crossed the line second, just a couple of seconds off race winner Max Verstappen. And he collected his trophy on the podium as usual with the Dutchman and Lando Norris, who finished third.
However, around two hours after the end of the race, the FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer announced a potential issue with the Brit's car. And Charles Leclerc was also referred to the stewards after his Ferrari, along with Hamilton's Mercedes, failed post-race floor and plank checks.
Both teams were summoned to the FIA offices at the Austin track to plead their cases. But, because their cars did not comply with F1 technical rules, the stewards disqualified both from the race.
It meant Hamilton was stripped of his podium place. Norris inherits second place as a result, while Carlos Sainz moves up to third place. Sergio Perez rises to fourth place, while everyone below Leclerc, who finished sixth on the road, was elevated by two spots.
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An official FIA document read: "During the hearing the team acknowledged that the measurement performed by the FIA Technical Team was correct and stated 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.
"The Stewards note 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. Therefore, the standard penalty for a breach of the Technical Regulations is imposed."
The disqualifications also mean a frustrating result for Williams turned into a gleeful one. Alex Albon thought he had just missed out on points but rose to ninth to collect two. And rookie American team-mate Logan Sargeant finally scores his first ever Formula 1 point racing on home soil.
It has a significant impact on the drivers' standings, too. Hamilton loses the 18 points he would have collected for finishing second and Perez takes home 12 instead of 10 after being bumped up a place.
So instead of seeing the Mercedes driver close the gap between them even further, it means the Mexican has more breathing space in the drivers' championship. Team-mate Verstappen has already sealed the title, but Perez has more work to do to make sure of second spot.