Lewis Hamilton has been disqualified from second place in Sunday’s United States Grand Prix for driving an illegal car. Nearly four hours after the chequered flag fell on Hamilton’s most competitive race of the season – one he claimed he should have won if Mercedes did not fluff their strategy lines – the stewards declared his car’s machinery did not comply with the regulations.
The depth of the new floor on Hamilton’s Mercedes was adjudged to be “outside the thresholds outlined in Article 3.5.9 e).” – which states that the plank cannot wear to below 9mm thickness.
BREAKING: Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have been disqualified from the 2023 United States Grand Prix for a technical infringement#F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/HHNlf5urLW — Formula 1 (@F1) October 23, 2023 Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished sixth, was disqualified for the same breach following Sunday’s 56-lap race at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas.
Hamilton’s demise elevated Lando Norris to runner-up behind Max Verstappen, who claimed the 50th win of his career and 15th from 18 this season, and Carlos Sainz to third.