The biggest talking point out of the US GP came in the form of the disqualification of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc after the race. Both drivers’ cars were subject to a plank check after the race, and as both cars failed to meet the norms, the authorities disqualified them from the race. Following the call, Hamilton was furious with the decision and called out the authorities for not checking more cars. However, it is not the only time the check took place, as Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso were also subject to the check almost a month ago.
Following the race in Singapore, Verstappen and Alonso had to see their cars undergo the plank check regulations. According to the latest update via a video report by The Race’s official YouTube channel, both drivers passed the check. No checks took place in Japan or Qatar because circumstances play a role in the authorities demanding a check.
“The last physical floor and plank wear inspection carried at post-race was in Singapore. On Verstappen’s Red Bull and Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin. No cars had this check in Japan or Qatar.”
Having been found in compliance with the regulations, both Verstappen and Alonso were able to stick with their finishing positions. The selective checks are not a way of showing bias against or towards any driver on the grid but a regulation put in place by the race authorities. While the basis of the checks remains random, the FIA generally opts to check one car from each of the top four teams on a given race day.
Lewis Hamilton believes more cars should have been checked by the authorities
Following the decision by the authorities, Hamilton claimed he heard from several sources that there were other cars on the grid that did not meet the regulations. However, the non-testing gave them a chance to get away with it.
F1 expert Martin Brundle chose to side against Hamilton and explained why the decision was correct. He revealed the authorities chose the two cars based on the data they saw on their screens. Former Ferrari boss Peter Windsor also gave his two cents on the incident. Windsor claimed the rule for testing at least one car from the top four has been in place for many years and that they don’t test all the cars as it would take far too much time.
“A Massive negative for the sport”
Lewis Hamilton on his DSQ at Austin GP
“A massive negative, every time the Sport takes a couple of steps forward, we have got decisions that come in place that knock us back a couple”Lewis Hamilton was disqualified after finishing the Race… pic.twitter.com/v3C0BMCP4L
— Desi Racing Co. (@DesiRacingco) October 27, 2023
However, Windsor added that there should be more checks by the FIA after races. He claimed that at least four drivers (Alonso, Ricciardo, Gasly, and Stroll) might have seen disqualification had there been checks on their cars. While there have been no clarifications on whether or not there will be more checks in the future, the latest check put Hamilton in a tricky place as he chases P2 in the driver’s standings.
