Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc driving for Ferrari and British racer Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes were disqualified from the results of the American Grand Prix held at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. With their exclusion, the remaining drivers moved up one position on the final classification, and the Spanish Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz stepped onto the podium in third place.
Both Leclerc, who had finished in sixth place, and Hamilton, who crossed the line in second behind Max Verstappen of Red Bull, were part of the post-race review that scrutinized various aspects of the cars. The FIA governing body ultimately confirmed the disqualification after evaluating the cars for irregularities related to the flat-footed setup described in the teams’ submissions.
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As a result, 29-year-old Carlos Sainz was officially classified in third place, while the English driver Lando Norris, racing for McLaren, moved up to first place on the podium. Verstappen, already the champion of the day, led the field to the checkered flag, ahead of Norris who finished strong in second. The Mexican Sergio Pérez, driving for Red Bull, settled the race in fourth after starting toward the middle of the pack.
The disqualification of Leclerc and Hamilton also altered the points for other competitors, with the Williams duo finishing outside the points. Alex Albon, competing under the Thai flag, and Logan Sargeant, the American rookie making his Formula 1 debut at this event, were affected by the final results shift and did not accumulate championship points in this race.