Here is how Michael Schumacher is responsible for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc getting disqualified at the US GP

Lewis Hamilton finished in second place behind Max Verstappen at the COTA F1 circuit.

Here is how Michael Schumacher is responsible for Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc getting disqualified at the US GP

Charles Leclerc, Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton (Images via IMAGO)

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have had an outing to forget at the 2023 United States Grand Prix. They were disqualified after the Austin race for a technical breach, and that has led to coming to light of former driver Michael Schumacher’s breach that took place during the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix.

During that time, Schumacher was found guilty of violating the rules and regulations because of excessive plank wear underneath his Benetton car. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were also found in breach of this after the recently concluded 56-lap race at the Circuit of the Americas.

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As per Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations (H&T: Racingnews365), relating to the plank – a block of wood placed underneath the car:

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The thickness of the plank assembly measured normal to the lower surface must be 10mm ± 0.2mm 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.

The plank was introduced in F1 to increase the ride height after the tragic deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna in 1994’s San Marino Grand Prix. The main idea behind the introduction of a plank underneath an F1 car at the pinnacle of motor racing was to slow it down after high-speed maneuvers.

Lewis Hamilton is extremely disappointed with the US GP result

While a lot has been made by several people of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc’s fortunes at the US GP, the former is, specifically, distraught by it. The pain might be double, considering he had a car capable of winning the race. 

I feel positive as we're moving forward, even if reflecting on it we could have possibly won today. [...] It is of course disappointing to be disqualified post-race but that doesn't take away from the progress we've made this weekend.
Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton. (Credits: Imago)

Much of Hamilton’s disappointment has stemmed from the fact that he lost out on a plethora of points because of the FIA’s ruling. He is aware of how delicate the situation is between himself and Sergio Perez in the 2023 Drivers Championship. He believes he could have closed the gap handsomely had his second-place finish stood.

However, while Lewis Hamilton is a bit dejected, he has still got four races remaining in which he can look to outscore Sergio Perez and hopefully overtake him in the driver’s standings. Considering the might of the Milton-Keynes-based team’s RB19, overtaking Perez would be a huge achievement for Hamilton this year.

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