F1 rocked by disqualification drama at United States Grand Prix

Two star F1 drivers including Lewis Hamilton have been disqualified in some wild drama at the United States Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are facing disqualification. (Photo by Chandan Khanna / AFP)

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have been sensationally disqualified from the United States Grand Prix after their cars failed regular checks after the race on Monday morning (AEDT).

Hamilton finished second behind race winner Max Verstappen, while Leclerc was sixth after starting on pole position.

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Their respective Mercedes and Ferrari cars were referred to the stewards by FIA Technical Delegate Jo Bauer following a post-race check on the floor planks underneath their cars.

“A physical floor and a plank wear inspection was carried out on car numbers 16 and 44,” said a statement from Bauer.

“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.

“I am referring this matter to the stewards for their consideration.”

Hours after the race ended, Hamilton and Leclerc were disqualified, meaning the championship points they received have now been cancelled out.

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc are facing disqualification. (Photo by Chandan Khanna / AFP)

Handing down the penalty, the stewards said: “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 minimised the time to set up and check the car before the race.”

The stewards added “that the onus is on the competitor to ensure that the car is in compliance with the regulations at all times during an event.”

The F1 technical regulations state that the plank beneath the car — which is made from wood and resin — must be 1 centimetre thick when new and cannot be worn down by more than 1 millimetre.

The skid blocks, which stick out from the plank floor by 3 millimetres, help to prevent damage to the plank.

The penalty for a technical breach is disqualification.

Teams only had one practice session to finalise their car setups due to this weekend having a Sprint Race.

Mercedes acknowledged the FIA’s measurement was correct, and said the wear was “probably a result of the unique combination of the bumpy track and the Sprint race schedule that minimised the time to set up and check the car before the race.”

Hamilton finished second behind Max Verstappen. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

Some drivers also reported struggling with the bumpy track at the Circuit of the Americas.

Hamilton picked up handy championship points with his second place finish and had closed within striking distance of Sergio Perez in the race for second in the drivers’ standings.

But those hopes might well have been dashed after Hamilton’s disqualification.

With Hamilton and Leclerc disqualified, the revised results mean Carlos Sainz officially finished third and Williams rookie Logan Sargeant has now scored his first championship point.

Revised United States GP results

1) Max Verstappen

2) Lando Norris

3) Carlos Sainz

4) Sergio Perez

5) George Russell

6) Pierre Gasly

7) Lance Stroll

8) Yuki Tsunoda

9) Alex Albon

10) Logan Sargeant

Originally published as F1 rocked by disqualification drama at United States Grand Prix