The British driver Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and the Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) were disqualified, more than three hours after the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix, because their cars were too low.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by those responsible for the race, the skids, which were found under the cars of the two drivers, did not meet the requirements.
Formula 1 cars have a wooden board or skid that is used to check the height of the cars. If the wear on the board exceeds one millimeter, the car and driver are disqualified.
The disqualification announcement said that Mercedes argued that the problem was due to the harsh track conditions, a situation that even the winner, Dutch driver Max Verstappen (Red Bull), complained about.
“The stewards emphasize that the responsibility for ensuring that the car complies with the regulations lies with the manufacturer,” race officials said.
The Mercedes boss said the team would not appeal.
“Others got it right where we got it wrong and there is no room for maneuver in the rules. We have to face this, learn and come back stronger next weekend,” said Toto Wolff.
The next round will be precisely in Mexico, in a week.
Lewis Hamilton had finished the 56 laps of the United States Grand Prix, the 18th race of the year, in second position, 2.225 seconds behind the winner, Max Verstappen, while Charles Leclerc finished sixth.
After starting from sixth place on the grid, Verstappen achieved his 15th victory this season, equaling the maximum number of victories in a single season that he had already achieved in 2022. It was also the 50th victory in Formula 1 for the Red driver Bull. .
Hamilton’s disqualification gave second place to his British compatriot Lando Norris (McLaren), who had finished third, with a time of 10.730 seconds.
This is the 750th podium for British drivers in the history of Formula 1.
At the end of the championship, with the two titles already awarded to Verstappen (the drivers’ title) and Red Bull (the constructors’ title), the point of interest has been the fight for second place.
In that battle, Hamilton once again lost ground to the Mexican Sérgio Pérez (Red Bull), who had been fifth, but ended up moving up to fourth.
With 50 races won, Verstappen, now practically a three-time world champion, ranks fifth on the list of the most successful drivers in the history of the sport.
With this victory, the Red Bull driver also reached 466 points in the championship, which is a new high in the history of Formula 1.
Source: TSF
