Why was Lewis Hamilton disqualified from US Grand Prix?

LEWIS Hamilton has been disqualified from second place in the US Grand Prix.

But why was the F1 legend kicked out and who claimed the winning title? Here’s everything you need to know.

GettyLewis Hamilton pictured during the US Grand Prix[/caption]

Why was Lewis Hamilton disqualified from the US Grand Prix?

In October 2023, it was reported that F1 legend Lewis Hamilton was disqualified from the US Grand Prix after his car failed a post-race inspection.

He was kicked out alongside Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc after both cars were subjected to random checks following the chequered flag – and were found to have breached the rules with regards to the thickness of the bottoms of the car.

The skid block, or plank as it is known, is the bottom part of the car that makes contact with the track and causes the sparks.

The FIA confirmed the news that both drivers had been disqualified after Hamilton’s Mercedes team were summoned to the FIA stewards in race control, over two hours after the race had finished.

The team representatives emerged 15 minutes later before their Ferrari counterparts were summoned.

A statement said: “The Stewards heard from the team representatives of car 44, the Technical Delegate, the FIA Single Seater Director and the FIA Single Seater Technical Director.

“During the hearing the team acknowledged that the measurement performed by the FIA Technical Team was correct and stated that the high wear on the skid pads was probably a result of the unique combination of the bumpy track and the Sprint race
schedule that minimised the time to set up and check the car before the race.

“The Stewards note that the onus is on the competitor to ensure that the car is in compliance with the regulations at all times during an event.

“In this particular case, the rear skid in the area defined in the Technical Delegate’s report was outside of the thresholds which includes a tolerance for wear.

“Therefore, the standard penalty for a breach of the Technical Regulations is imposed.”

What has Lewis Hamilton said about his disqualification?

Following his disqualification, Hamilton spoke of his dissapointment.

In Mercedes’ post-race press release, Hamilton said: “It is of course disappointing to be disqualified post-race but that doesn’t take away from the progress we’ve made this weekend.”

The F1 legend also spoke out ahead of the shock disqualification.

He said: “Yes, I do think we would have been in position to fight Max and we made life harder for ourselves than it needed to be.

“There were a lot of areas where we could have been better and the positives are we could match them for pace.

“Second is great. To come in this weekend and have real strength, it is a solid second, it feels really positive.

“We have a few races ahead and we don’t know how the car will be, but if we are in position like this, and get the strategy right and the pitstops right, we can be racing for a win.”

Who won the US Grand Prix?

Prior to the disqualification, the US Grand Prix saw Hamilton finish second in his Mercedes behind race-winner Max Verstappen.

However, Hamilton’s disqualification means that McLaren’s Lando Norris is bumped up to second and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz to third.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was disqualified from his sixth-place finish.