Austin 2023: Hamilton and Leclerc disqualified after floor checks

Two top-six finishes disappeared from the 2023 United States Grand Prix after the chequered flag. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified when post-race checks found the skid blocks beneath their cars' floors thinner than the required nine millimetres. The FIA sampled four cars; checks on Hamilton's Mercedes and Leclerc's Ferrari found the thickness below the limit.

Before the checks, Max Verstappen had started sixth and won with a strong undercut, ahead of Hamilton and Lando Norris. With the 2023 title already settled, Hamilton and Sergio Pérez were still contesting second in the standings.

Mercedes told the stewards that the Circuit of the Americas' extreme bumps, combined with the sprint format, had worn the floor plank faster than expected. Setup changes were no longer allowed after the weekend's only practice session, leaving the team unable to adjust ride height. The stewards nevertheless held the teams responsible for compliance, regardless of track conditions or limited practice time.

It was the first time in two years that a driver had been removed from an F1 result; the previous case was Sebastian Vettel in Hungary in 2021, who lost second because his car did not have enough fuel for a sample. Mercedes had never before had a driver disqualified after a Sunday race; Ferrari's previous such case was Felipe Massa in 2007, when he drove through a red pit-lane light.

Hamilton's lost points helped Pérez extend his lead in the fight for second. Logan Sargeant also moved up to P10 and scored the first F1 point of his career in his home race.