Lewis Hamilton faced disqualification from his second-place finish after a closely fought race with Max Verstappen in a dramatic turn of events at the US Grand Prix.
Initially, Hamilton trailed Verstappen by a mere two seconds at the finish line. However, post-race inspections revealed that Hamilton’s car had breached regulations due to excessive wear on the underfloor skid blocks.
Adding to the drama, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc met a similar fate with disqualification after securing sixth place. As a result of these disqualifications, McLaren’s Lando Norris was elevated to second place, and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz claimed the third spot on the podium.
Throughout the race, Verstappen displayed a measured performance. He strategically navigated the cars ahead of him and successfully clinched his 50th career win in Formula 1.
Although Hamilton managed to overtake Norris for the second position in the closing laps, he ran out of time to catch up with Verstappen for the lead.
The disqualifications of both Hamilton and Leclerc introduced an element of confusion to the race, particularly since Mercedes appeared to have made significant progress with an upgraded car. Mercedes initially pursued a one-stop strategy while Verstappen and Norris opted for a two-stop approach. However, Mercedes had to abandon their plan when Hamilton’s tires suddenly lost performance. As a result, Hamilton had to switch to an alternative strategy, requiring him to pass both Norris and Verstappen to secure victory.
In a thrilling showdown, Hamilton succeeded in overtaking Norris with six laps to go and embarked on an intense battle for the lead. Although he managed to reduce the gap, he fell slightly short of challenging Verstappen’s position by the end of the race.
Verstappen maintained a five-second lead with six laps remaining, skillfully managing brake issues that led to a series of radio messages filled with frustration.
Charles Leclerc’s strategy of a one-stop race failed to yield positive results in the final stages. He was eventually instructed to let his teammate Carlos Sainz pass him, a decision that Leclerc questioned over the radio, even though he ultimately complied.
The reason behind this team order was clear: the Ferraris were under threat from Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, who effortlessly overtook Leclerc on his worn-out tires in the closing laps.
George Russell, driving for Mercedes, secured the seventh position, finishing behind Leclerc. The disqualifications of Hamilton and Leclerc added a captivating twist to the US Grand Prix, ultimately elevating Verstappen to the pinnacle of victory and crowning him as the race’s winner.
Source: BBC Sports
