The 2023 United States Grand Prix arguably produced one of the best races of this season, with one too many battles taking place across the Circuit of The Americas throughout the afternoon. Of course, the one battle that caught everyone’s attention was quite obviously Lewis Hamilton and his rather exhilarating hunt for victory, which nearly ended in his favor, with a mere 2-second advantage shielding Max Verstappen.
However, in what is undeniably the biggest shock of the weekend, Hamilton’s hard-earned 18 points now lie in the hands of the stewards. Barely an hour into the chequered flag at COTA, the FIA has revealed that neither Hamilton’s Mercedes nor Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari complied with the regulations during a routine check.
According to the international governing body, the two motorsport stars may well have breached the ride height rules. The FIA Technical Delegate, Jo Bauer, reported that Hamilton and Leclerc’s cars didn’t adhere to the “plank wear and physical floor” examination. Hence, the matter has now been moved to the stewards, as we await their response.
🚨BREAKING: Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc referred to stewards after the planks on their cars were found to be non-compliant with the rules in post-race checks #F1 #USGP pic.twitter.com/nR0zC0BUMt
— Autosport (@autosport) October 22, 2023
By the looks of it, both Hamilton and Leclerc could be facing disqualifications from the race, which, according to reports, have been the stewards’ choice of punishment. But, before we analyze what the future awaits the two F1 drivers, here’s what many have happened with their cars and why the FIA believes they breached the rules.
Why Lewis Hamilton could be disqualified from US Grand Prix
For starters, this certainly isn’t just another negligible rule breach that doesn’t have enough power to hand a driver a marginal advantage over others. In Hamilton’s case, it looks like Mercedes decided to ignore the condition of the plank following the sprint over an extremely bumpy COTA.
Meaning, that Hamilton and Leclerc would have embraced a reasonable advantage over the rest of the grid in terms of pace, potentially even gaining a few tenths of a second. Take a look at what F1 analyst Albert Fabrega has to say about the plank on the floor of the car.
El plank es la pieza que parece de madera que va debajo del coche y que segun reglamento es de 10mm y se permite 1mm de desgaste por fricción con el suelo según artículo 3.5.9 e. Si vas más bajo o atacas mucho pianos puedes desgastar más en las zonas de medición. https://t.co/DVC3b9fQDk pic.twitter.com/CCL8ThRjEk
— Albert Fabrega (@AlbertFabrega) October 22, 2023
“The plank is the piece that looks like wood that goes under the car and that according to regulations is 10mm and 1mm of wear due to friction with the ground is allowed according to article 3.5.9 e. If you go lower or attack a lot of edges you can wear more in the measurement areas,” he explained on social media.
Overall, Hamilton and Leclerc could well be staring at a disappointing end to their weekend in Austin, with a potential DSQ breathing on their necks. Hence, will the FIA make the big decision and shuffle the entire grid in a late US GP twist?