Lewis Hamilton disqualified from US GP and stripped of podium over illegal Mercedes car

Lewis Hamilton finished second at the US Grand Prix while Charles Leclerc crossed the line sixth, but the two drivers were quickly investigated after their cars theirs failed post-race inspection

Lewis Hamilton has been disqualified from the United States Grand Prix and stripped of his podium finish.
The seven-time world champion crossed the finish line in second place, just seconds behind winner Max Verstappen. And he received his trophy on the podium as usual alongside the Dutchman and Lando Norris, who finished third.

However, around two hours after the race ended, FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer reported a potential problem with the British driver’s car. And Charles Leclerc was also mentioned to the stewards after his Ferrari, along with Hamilton’s Mercedes, failed to get off the track and check the boards.

Both teams were summoned to the FIA ​​offices at the Austin circuit to settle their case. But because their cars did not comply with F1 technical rules, the stewards disqualified them both from the race.

This means that Hamilton has been stripped of his podium position. Norris thus inherited second place, while Carlos Sainz moved up to third place. Sergio Perez moved up to fourth, while those below Leclerc, who was sixth on the road, were promoted two places.

An official FIA document reads:
“During the hearing, the team admitted that the measurements carried out by the FIA ​​technical team were correct and stated that the wear of the protective pads was much is probably a result of the unique combination of a bumpy Track and a Sprint race schedule that minimizes time spent preparing and checking the car before the race.

Stewards note that it is the competitor’s responsibility to ensure that the vehicle complies with the regulations at all times throughout the race. In this particular case, the rear slippage in the area identified in the Technical

Representative’s report was outside the threshold specified in clause 3.5.9 e ) of the FIA ​​Formula 1 Technical Regulations, including wear resistance, in breach of the Technical Regulations. Regulation imposed.”

The elimination also meant an unpleasant result for Williams, which turned into a happy one. Alex Albon thought he had narrowly missed out on the points but moved up to ninth to collect two points. And his American rookie teammate Logan Sargeant finally scored his first points in a Formula 1 race on home soil.

This also significantly affects the driver’s ranking. Hamilton lost 18 points that he could have earned by finishing second and Perez gained 12 points instead of 10 after moving up one place.

So instead of the Mercedes driver closing the gap between them even further, it means the Mexican has more breathing room in the drivers’ championship. His teammate Verstappen won the title, but Perez still has work to do to secure second place.