2023 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix: Hamilton and Leclerc Disqualified

Formula 1 United States Grand Prix Post Race Recap and Results

The 2023 Formula 1 (F1) United States Grand Prix, held at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, saw perfect weather and crowds of over 430,000+ in attendance.

The excitement began even before the race as both the Aston Martin and Haas F1 Team drivers found themselves starting from the pit lane. This was a result of changes to their race cars, throwing a curveball into the race dynamics and putting these teams on the back foot from the start, which was already a tough weekend for Aston Martin who brought upgrades to the USGP, and along with Haas F1 who was hoping to perform well in front of their home crowd.

Verstappen’s Qualifying Drama and Hamilton’s Heroics: Highlights from the 2023 World Championship Race

But the biggest surprise came when Max Verstappen, the already crowned 2023 World Champion, had to start from the 6th position due to a track limits penalty during qualifying. This penalty promoted Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc to pole position and McLaren’s Lando Norris to the front row, setting up a thrilling showdown.

The race itself saw Aston Martin battle hard, putting both Fernando Alonso and the struggling Lance Stroll in the top 10 before Alonso’s retirement with a hand full of laps remaining due to a suspension failure. That aside, it was Lewis Hamilton in his upgraded Mercedes race car, who put on a show for the fans, showcasing his incredible skill and determination. He fought his way to a hard-earned 2nd place, while gaining valuable points in the Constructors Championship.

Formula 1 Drama: Ferrari’s Strategy Blunders and Post-Race Controversy

But it was Ferrari proving yet again to be terrible strategies. Pole sitter Charles Leclerc was the only driver to attempt a one-stop strategy which backfired embarrassingly when Leclerc was only able to achieve a 6th place finish, with his Pirelli race tires wearing excessively over the race distance.

However, the post-race drama was what truly shook the Formula 1 world. Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton lost their respective 6th and 2nd place finishes due to post-race technical inspections involving their plank assembly. The FIA Technical Regulations, which dictate that the plank assembly can only wear by 1mm down to 9mm across a weekend, proved to be the undoing of these two championship contenders.

The disqualifications sent shockwaves through the paddock and the fans. With Leclerc and Hamilton out of the points, it was the Williams F1 driver, Logan Sargent, who was declared the first American Formula 1 driver in 30 years to score points.