Hamilton loses podium as he and Leclerc excluded for plank wear breach
Both were referred to the stewards by FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer, who found the “skids” on the underside of Hamilton and Leclerc’s cars not to be “in compliance with Article 3.5.9 e) of the 2023 Formula 1 technical regulations”.
The stewards deemed that a rule breach had occurred and subsequently excluded both drivers from the race result, meaning Hamilton has been stripped of his P2 finish behind race-winner Max Verstappen, while Leclerc is demoted from sixth.
Lando Norris is now classified second, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz completing the podium in third.
Sergio Perez moves up to fourth place, with George Russell fifth, Pierre Gasly sixth, Lance Stroll seventh, Yuki Tsunoda eighth and Alex Albon ninth.
Logan Sargeant has been promoted up to 10th, handing the American rookie his his first F1 point at his home race.
The FIA's scrutineering document revealed that checks were also carried out on Verstappen and Norris' cars, but they were found to be in conformity.
The FIA's scrutineering document revealed that checks were also carried out on Verstappen and Norris' cars, but they were found to be in conformity.
"During the hearing the team acknowledged that the measurement performed by the FIA Technical Team was correct and stated that the high wear on the skid pads was probably a result of the unique combination of the bumpy track and the Sprint race schedule that minimized the time to set up and check the car before the race," the stewards said.
"The Stewards note that the onus is on the competitor to ensure that the car is in compliance with the regulations at all times during an event. In this particular case, the rear skid in the area defined in the Technical Delegate’s report was outside of the thresholds outlined in Article 3.5.9 e) of the FIA Formula One Technical Regulations, which includes a tolerance for wear.
"Therefore, the standard penalty for a breach of the Technical Regulations is imposed."
