The US Grand Prix proved to be closer than expected between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen as there were only 2 seconds separating the 2 drivers. However, it was later revealed that Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified from the Grand Prix. Both of their cars failed a physical plank wear and floor check after the race. However, recent reports suggest that other cars may have also breached the same regulations.
After every race, a few cars are chosen to be physically tested. The selections of these cars are meant to be random and chosen by Jo Bauer and his team of FIA personnel. They don’t do these tests for every car as it will take a long time.
The teams will also have to pack up and move the car and equipment for the next race. After the US Grand Prix, the teams are heading to Mexico the next weekend itself. So the FIA does not have enough time to conduct physical tests for all the cars. Just because 2 cars were tested and investigated, it does not trigger the FIA to investigate the 2nd car in the same team (George Russell or Carlos Sainz).
🚨 | Charles Leclerc’s plank was under the minimum by “a few tenths of a milimetre” in FIA inspections.
Only 4 cars were inspected by the FIA.
If others has been checked, it seems likely there would have been more DSQs.
— formularacers (@formularacers_) October 23, 2023
This disqualification has affected Lewis Hamilton badly. He was just 18 points behind Sergio Perez for 2nd place in the WDC before the disqualification was announced. After the announcement, Hamilton is now 39 points behind Sergio Perez. Even Charles Leclerc has lost position to Lando Norris who now sits at 6th place just 12 points behind Carlos Sainz.
With only 4 more races to go, Sergio Perez is at risk of losing his seat to Daniel Ricciardo. If Lewis Hamilton is able to overcome the 39-point deficit in 4 races, it is likely that Checo will be replaced by Ricciardo. Despite the disqualification, Hamilton remains positive about the team’s progress.
The real reason why Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were given penalties in Austin
During every weekend, a plank is installed on the floor of every car. This is to make sure that the car does not go lower than the specified amount. According to the regulations, the plank should be 10 millimeters. However, since the wear factor plays a role, the FIA has allowed a grace of 1mm. This means, that after the end of the race, the plank can be a minimum of 9mm. But let’s see why this was an issue in the US GP.
There are 2 reasons as to why plank wear was an issue at the US GP. Going into the Grand Prix, the teams expected the track to be more bumpy than usual. As a result, the floor had a lot of contact with the asphalt on the track. This resulted in the plank getting more thinner than usual.
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The other reason for the increased wear was the Sprint Weekend. During a normal race weekend, the cars enter Parc Ferme when they go out of the garage during the qualifying session. When the cars enter Parc Ferme, the teams are only allowed to make a few changes in the car. These changes do not include the plank or floor. in a normal race weekend, the car has to survive only 2 sessions until the FIA has the opportunity to do physical tests.
However, during a sprint weekend, the cars enter Parc Ferme on Friday as they head out for qualifying. This means that the cars will remain in Parc Ferme for a total of 4 races. The Qualifying, Sprint Shootout, Sprint Race, and the Grand Prix. Naturally, this will increase the amount of wear on the floor of the cars.
Both these reasons collectively played a major role in the disqualifications of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc. Do you think the FIA should make changes in the regulations for Sprint Weekends? Post your answers in the comment section below.