Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were both disqualified hours after the United States Grand Prix after failing post-race FIA checks on their cars which found an issue
Lewis Hamilton insisted that Mercedes’ impressive showing in Austin was not diminished by his disqualification from the United States Grand Prix.The seven-time world champion finished the race in second place, trailing only Max Verstappen. But after his Mercedes car failed post-race scrutineering checks from the FIA, he was later stripped of his podium finish and the 18 points that went along with it.His Mercedes’ rear skids had excessive wear, which meant it didn’t adhere to F1 regulations, according to the FIA’s inspections. A similar issue with his Ferrari led to Charles Leclerc’s disqualification as well.
Team principal Toto Wolff was slightly less brief as he held his hands up and admitted the team was at fault. “Set-up choices on a sprint weekend are always a challenge with just one hour of free practice – and even more so at a bumpy circuit like COTA and running a new package.
“In the end, all of that doesn’t matter – others got it right where we got it wrong and there’s no wiggle room in the rules. We need to take it on the chin, do the learning, and come back stronger next weekend.”
The result meant Lando Norris inherited second place from Hamilton, while Carlos Sainz was bumped up to the podium. Sergio Perez’s finish is improved to fourth, which has a significant impact on the battle for
second place in the drivers’ standings.Hamilton would have scored 18 points by finishing second, while Perez would have taken 10 for fifth. Now the seven-time world champion leaves the US empty-handed and his Red Bull rival takes an extra two points, the gap between them now has increased to 39 with four rounds remaining.
Williams benefits greatly as a result of the double disqualification. Both of their drivers move into the points positions, assisting the team in securing seventh place in the constructors’ standings and allowing rookie Logan Sargeant to finally record his first-ever F1 point.
After the challenging weekend I’ve had, it’s amazing to get my first F1 point on home soil, the happy American exclaimed. I’m incredibly proud of myself and this team for our hard work and advancement this season.