Hamilton and Leclerc are Disqualified from US Grand Prix Due to Technical Breach

October 22, 2023Ramon Jones
Formula 1

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were both disqualified after the United States Grand Prix due to breaching the technical regulations. The steward report stated that: “The skids located in the area -825 ≥ XR ≥ – 1025 are found to be not in compliance with Article 3.5.9 e) of the 2023 Formula One Technical Regulations.” Both cars saw excessive bottom skid plate damage due to the rough track limits and rapid elevation changes at Circuit of the Americas.

The teams argued that the track conditions should be considered regarding the situation. However, the stewards responded with the following statement, “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 outlined in Article 3.5.9 e) of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations, which includes a tolerance for wear.”

The disqualification moved Norris to second place and promoted Carlos Sainz to the podium. Sergio Perez finished P4 improving his championship lead over Lewis Hamilton in the race for second place.