Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in confusing joint message after US GP disqualification

Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc were both disqualified from the US Grand Prix after Sunday’s race,  each for their cars both violated Formula 1 regulations.

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc posted similar cryptic messages on Instagram after they were both disqualified from the US Grand Prix.

Hamilton lost second place when his Mercedes  failed a field test for floor and floorboard wear  after Sunday’s race. Meanwhile, Ferrari driver Leclerc was also convicted of the same crime, after finishing sixth in Austin.

The pads under each of their cars have worn out, meaning  they  no longer comply with Formula 1 regulations. McLaren star Lando Norris thus took second place on the podium behind winner Max Verstappen, while the other Ferrari driver, Carlos Sainz, rounded out the podium in third place.

Reacting to the FIA’s statement with a post shared on Instagram, seven-time world champion Hamilton and rival Leclerc posted an image of themselves sitting at a press conference, looking somber. The caption simply reads:
“Mood”.

In Mercedes’ press release following the FIA ​​announcement, Hamilton added:
“Of course it is  disappointing to be eliminated after the race but that does not take away from the progress we have made on this weekend.”

Team principal Toto Wolff explains:
“Setup choices during a sprint weekend are always a challenge with just an hour of free practice – and even more so on a track as bumpy as COTA and with the new package.

“In the end, all this didn’t matter; everyone else got  right where we were wrong and there was no  room for change in the rules. We must take responsibility, learn and come back stronger next weekend take our podium. Unfortunately, this is one of the pitfalls of the sprint format as you have a solitary hour of racing before parc ferme.
“Not running on racing fuel  in FP1, combined with  bumpy tracks like this and the sections of  track where  drivers have to park their cars during the Grand Prix,  contributed to  higher than expected consumption levels We will stop and learn from it, but also take the positives out of our overall experience.”

F1 will then head to Mexico City for this Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix. The teams will then head to Brazil for the final sprint weekend, then return to the United States for the Las Vegas night racing before ending the 2023 campaign in Abu Dhabi.