The LH army can’t seem to catch a break! First, it was the Mercedes duo fighting for the same racing line into turn 1 at Qatar, which cost Hamilton the entire race! But as the Formula 1 grid rolled up to the Circuit of the Americas, a track Lewis Hamilton has always loved, expectations were at an all-time high! Unfortunately, the seven-time world champion, along with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, was disqualified from the US GP by the FIA, even after delivering a mega performance. What prompted the federation to take such action you might ask?

When the dust had settled in Austin, the FIA pulled in Hamilton and Leclerc for a physical floor and plank wear inspection. According to a directive introduced in 1994, the wooden floor plank is expected to have less than 1mm of wear, failing which the car in question shall be disqualified. After the race, the seven-time world champion’s Mercedes failed to pass the FIA’s scrutiny, resulting in a huge loss of points for Mercedes, and a P2 for Hamilton. However, the seven-time world champion has spoken out against the FIA’s decision, pointing the finger towards the randomized process of selection.

The only reason Hamilton’s car fell under the FIA’s radar was a spot check

According to sources, Lewis Hamilton has said he’s willing to place his entire net worth of approximately $285 million on the line! Challenging the FIA’s decision with a solid argument that over 50% of the grid would have failed the floor-plank directive had everyone been tested, instead of a handful. Charles Leclerc also failed the test, annulling his sixth-place finish.

The seven-time world champion was vocal in his frustration with the FIA’s process of selection for scrutiny. The Brit was quoted by The Mirror, “There have been many other scenarios like this where some people have got away with certain things and some people have got unlucky and got tested. There needs to be some form of better structure to make sure it is fair and even across the board.” Further elaborating on the fact that only a handful were found guilty when there were many culprits, he added,  “And I’ve had information from many others that were also illegal but they got away with it. That’s messed up.”

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While Lando Norris‘ MCL60 passed the scrutiny, he echoed Hamilton’s thoughts, “I would love it if they had checked more cars. It can always bite you. They checked mine first. It’s more (across) teams. It’s unlikely two (cars in one team) are that different. If one car is illegal then there’s a high chance the other car is.” 

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If we take a look at the statistics for the plank-wear checks in 2023, there is a pattern that emerges. Ferrari and Mercedes have been checked 5 times each! This is more than double that of any other team, with Red Bull and the others getting off significantly easier. This is what makes Lewis Hamilton’s argument gain solid ground. However, it remains to be seen if the FIA considers this theory relevant enough to address.

Will Lewis Hamilton rise? Mercedes’ pace is a great sign despite US GP upset

The 2023 season has not been one that Lewis Hamilton would want to remember. The Brit’s campaign has struggled to gain momentum against the ever-so-dominant Max Verstappen. It did not help the seven-time world champion that the car under him was unable to fight consistently for the top 4, let alone Red Bull. But the mentality he’s always had is to never give up. While Hamilton’s wish to avenge the 2021 title looked to have halted in its tracks, the Mercedes engineers came to the rescue!

A new floor design worth approximately $ 126,000 was fitted onto the W14 before the US GP, which completely transformed the car. Throughout the weekend, Hamilton kept Verstappen and Co. on their toes, scoring 2nd in the Sprint Race. Sunday’s action was looking to be a repeat of the sprint’s events, as Hamilton looked to solidify his statement. The Brit was off to a lightning start, overtaking Charles Leclerc early and shifting his focus to Verstappen. The seven-time world champion was ahead before the first round of pit stops, but a strategy call to remain out saw Verstappen and Norris undercut him. Despite the blunder, Hamilton was trailing Verstappen by only two seconds when the checkered flag was waved.

While the result was annulled by the FIA, the pace showcased by the w14 has made Hamilton’s confidence skyrocket. Despite facing the current crisis with the disqualification, the Brit is positive on the team’s road to recovery.

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Although Lewis Hamilton is known to excel at COTA, scoring back-to-back podiums for three consecutive years, the hard work done by the Mercedes’ engineers has put the Brackley outfit on the right track once again. While it may have come a little too late this year, the LH Army should be amped up for what’s to come!