Lewis Hamilton‘s post-race disqualification at the Austin Grand Prix- Hamilton remains optimistic despite the disqualification, attributing to unique racing conditions. Hamilton initially believed he secured a second-place finish, but technical infringements led to his disqualification.

Key Takeaways- Both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified due to excessive plank wear on their cars. Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, and Sergio Perez benefit from the disqualifications, moving up the leaderboard. Unique track conditions and a condensed Sprint race schedule may have contributed to the high wear.

Austin, TX Grand Prix Disqualification- Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified from their respective second and fifth positions. The FIA found that both the Mercedes W14 and Ferrari SF23 exceeded permitted wear on the plank of their cars’ floors. Despite the disappointment, Hamilton responded to the disqualification with grace.

Reshuffling of Standings- Lando Norris of McLaren moved to second place, with Carlos Sainz of Ferrari in third. Sergio Perez, in a championship battle with Hamilton, secured fourth place. George Russell, Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate, now stands in fifth place. Drivers in the top ten, including Pierre Gasly, Lance Stroll, Yuki Tsunoda, Alex Albon, and Logan Sargent, also benefited from the rulings.

Technical Reasons for Disqualifications- FIA regulations set specific tolerances for wear on the car’s plank to ensure fairness and legality in performance. Lewis Hamilton’s and Leclerc’s vehicles were found to be outside the acceptable tolerance. Unique Challenges of the Circuit of the Americas in Austin-The Circuit of the Americas posed unique challenges combined with the constraints of a Sprint race weekend. Teams highlighted these challenges as potential contributors to the excessive wear.

Representatives from Mercedes and Ferrari discussed the issue with the Stewards post-race, agreeing that the high wear on the skid pads likely resulted from the bumpy track and the condensed Sprint race schedule, which limited the time for car setup and checks before the race.