Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff speak out on their US GP disqualification drama

In a dramatic turn of events at the United States Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton's podium finish was snatched away due to a post-race disqualification following scrutineering checks by the FIA. Despite crossing the line in second place behind Max Verstappen, Hamilton's Mercedes car was found to have breached F1 regulations due to excessive wear on the rear skids. A similar issue led to the disqualification of Charles Leclerc's Ferrari as well.

Expressing his disappointment, Hamilton emphasized that the disqualification should not undermine the progress made by Mercedes over the weekend.

"It is of course disappointing to be disqualified post-race, but that doesn't take away from the progress we've made this weekend," he said.


Meanwhile, Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff owned up to the team's mistakes, attributing the issue to challenging setup choices during the sprint weekend, compounded by the demanding nature of the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) and the implementation of a new package.

"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," Wolff said.

The repercussions of the disqualification extended beyond the immediate loss of points for Hamilton, who would have earned 18 crucial points, as it also impacted the drivers' standings. Lando Norris moved up to second place, while Carlos Sainz secured a spot on the podium. Sergio Perez's position improved to fourth, significantly affecting the battle for the runner-up position in the drivers' standings, with Hamilton's gap to his Red Bull rival expanding to 39 points with only four rounds left in the season.

Additionally, the double disqualification had unforeseen consequences for Williams, as both of their drivers were propelled into the points positions, bolstering the team's standing in the constructors' championship. The turn of events also marked a milestone for rookie Logan Sargeant, who secured his first-ever F1 point in the process.

Hamilton's disqualification, decoded
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc faced disqualification due to non-compliance with FIA regulations. The specific rule that their cars violated pertained to the thickness of the rear skids, which is used to control the ride height of the cars. Running a car at a lower ride height can increase speed by generating more downforce. However, this generation of cars has shown a safety concern when running too low, resulting in a bouncing effect at high speeds, known as "porpoising."

To address this, the rules were adjusted to limit how low teams can set their cars. Mercedes, the team Hamilton drives for, did not intentionally run their cars with a lower ride height than allowed during the US Grand Prix. However, the track's rough surface caused more wear to the skids than anticipated, resulting in thinner skids than what the regulations permit. Non-compliance with the FIA scrutineering checks inevitably leads to disqualification, as was the case for Hamilton and Leclerc.

The stewards, responsible for enforcing the rules, explained that they had no choice but to apply the appropriate punishment. According to the stewards, the team acknowledged that the FIA Technical Team's measurement was accurate. They attributed the high wear on the skids to the combination of the bumpy track and the condensed race schedule, which limited the time available for car setup and checks.

In their decision, the stewards emphasized that it is the responsibility of the competitors to ensure compliance with the regulations at all times during an event. In this instance, the rear skid on both Hamilton and Leclerc's cars was found to be outside the specified thresholds outlined in Article 3.5.9 e) of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations, including the allowance for wear.

Therefore, the standard penalty for a breach of the Technical Regulations was applied. As the F1 regulations are highly detailed, it is crucial for teams to meticulously adhere to these rules. The incident serves as a reminder that even unintentional deviations can lead to disqualification, highlighting the importance of maintaining compliance with the regulations to ensure fair competition and safety in Formula One racing.