Lewis Hamilton has spoken out against the current system of post-race checks in Formula One, claiming that more cars than his Mercedes and Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari were illegal at the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin. Both Hamilton and Leclerc were stripped of their finishing positions due to excessive wear on the car’s mandatory under-floor ‘plank’ in last Sunday’s race. While Hamilton and Leclerc accepted their punishment, they attributed the breaches to the sprint format and the bumpy track. Only four out of the 15 cars that finished the race were checked for this type of violation. Surprisingly, the cars of Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who benefited from their teammates’ exclusion and secured fifth and third places respectively, were not subjected to checks.
Speaking ahead of the upcoming race in Mexico City, Hamilton expressed his dissatisfaction with the fairness of the checks conducted after races. He revealed that he had heard from various sources that many other cars had not been tested and were also in violation of the regulations. Hamilton emphasized the need for a more structured and equitable approach to these checks, regardless of the team or driver.
In response to the criticism, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) explained that a certain number of cars are randomly selected for checks on different areas after each race. However, due to time constraints and the logistical challenges of back-to-back races, it is not feasible to inspect every car for the same potential violations. The FIA defended this process, highlighting that it has been in place for many decades.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, whose car passed the plank test, attributed the problem to the sprint format used in Austin. Verstappen claimed that teams had only one practice session to properly adjust their cars’ ride height, which contributed to the excessive wear on the planks. The Dutch driver argued that if one car from a team is found to be illegal, the other car should also be tested since they typically have similar setups.
Lando Norris of McLaren, who was promoted to second place after his car was deemed legal, agreed with Verstappen’s viewpoint. Norris stated that it is unlikely for two cars from the same team to have significant differences and suggested that if one car is found to be in violation, the other should be subject to testing as well.
It remains to be seen whether any changes will be implemented in the post-race check system to address the concerns raised by Hamilton and other drivers. As the F1 community prepares for the race in Mexico City, discussions regarding a fairer and more comprehensive process for checking cars’ compliance with regulations are likely to continue.
(Writing by Alan Baldwin in London; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
