Formula One has recently finished its United States GP race on the Circuit of the Americas, and Max Verstappen has claimed his fifteenth win of this season by finishing the race in 1 hour and 35 minutes.
Lewis Hamilton, who was supposed to be the second ranker, was eliminated from the race entirely, pushing Lando Norris to second place.
So, why was Lewis Hamilton disqualified? During the standard post-race checks, the FIA Technical team found that Hamilton’s skid blocks (planks) were not in compliance with the rules and disqualified him immediately from the Grand Prix results.
Why Exactly Was Lewis Hamilton Disqualified From the Results?
Following the conclusion of Sunday’s race, Lewis Hamilton came just behind Verstappen but was disqualified from the Grand Prix results due to the rule break concerning his car’s skid blocks.
Apparently, Hamilton’s Mercedes broke one of Formula One Technical Regulations, which, according to FiA states,
“The thickness of the plank assembly measured normal to the lower surface must be 10 mm ± 0.2 mm [plus or minus 0.2 millimeters] and must be uniform when new.”
“A minimum thickness of 9mm will be accepted due to wear, and conformity to this provision will be checked at the peripheries of the designated holes.”
There was also a one-millimetre grace for the competitors to avoid the wearing down problem, given they are made of wood. But it wasn’t enough to save Hamilton from getting disqualified.
The checks were carried out right after the race’s conclusion, during which the vehicles of Hamilton, Leclerc, Lando Norris, and Verstappen were the focus of inspection.
While Verstappen and Lando Norris were cleared for complying with the rules, Hamilton and Leclerc were both disqualified. Apparently, once they start the race, they are only allowed to carry out minimal repairs on the cars.
Why Were Inspections Only Carried Out on Four Cars?
Usually, 20 racers compete in the F1 racing, so it goes without saying that fans would be questioning why the other cars weren’t checked following the race’s conclusion.
Reportedly, the technical team tests not only the plank wear but also other areas, including weight, tires, and fuel flow. So, they only choose random cars, especially the ones in the top five quite often.
This also gives them the opportunity to catch the racers off guard as they are not sure when their vehicle will be taken to the inspection.
The reason why Hamilton was directly disqualified instead of getting fined is also the same. So, if any racer tries to improve the diameter of plank wear to increase their chances of winning a race next time, they will also be disqualified.
How Does Hamilton’s Loss Affect the Ranking?
During the initial hours of Sunday’s race, Hamilton was just behind the second-place racer, S. Perez, with a three-point difference, and he had a pretty good chance of finishing first by the end of the final lap.
But his disqualification from the race came as a surprise, and the racers who were ranked behind him all moved up a position, meaning more points.
L. Norris, who was third, moved to second, while C. Saintz Jr and S. Perez also moved up from their respective rankings.
So, what do you think about Lewis Hamilton’s exclusion from the race? Do you believe he should’ve been fined instead?
Source: Formula1
Recent Comments