Lewis Hamilton Breaks Silence On Austin Grand Prix Disqualification As Fans React

Lewis Hamilton is opening up about his heartbreaking disqualification from Formula One's Austin Grand Prix!

After fighting to cross the finish line in second place, the race car driver was relieved of his position after the heated match following a technical violation. Although disappointed by the post-competition outcome, the British sensation reflected on the moment optimistically.

The Formula One star, who drives for Mercedes, was stripped of his recent victory at the Austin Grand Prix. The 38-year-old and Scuderia Ferrari's representative, Charles Leclerc, lost their respective second and fifth positions for breaching the F.I.A.'s strict rules.

Hamilton respectfully responded to the tragic disqualification, rising above his pain to acknowledge that the post-race outcome did not overshadow his team's accomplishments. In his statement, the F.I.A. Action of the Year honoree explained:

"We had a good pace, and I was feeling great in the car. I feel positive as we go forward, even though we thought we could have won today. Of course, it's disappointing to be disqualified after the race, but it doesn't take away from the progress we made this weekend."

Hamilton and Leclerc were disqualified after the F.I.A. discovered that their vehicles — the Mercedes W14 and the Ferrari SF23 — had surpassed the acceptable wear on the plank on their cars' floors. The F.I.A.'s regulations impose a specific tolerance for wear on a car's plank to safeguard floor legality and performance fairness.

However, the race car drivers' vehicles exceeded this standard, an outcome believed to have been generated from several factors. The discussion between Mercedes and Ferrari's reps with the Stewards post-race revealed:

"High wear on the skid pads was probably a result of the unique combination of the bumpy track and the Sprint race schedule that minimized the time to set up and check the car before the race."

While the disqualification prompted many to call for the F.I.A.'s head, the Stewards defended Hamilton and Leclerc's dismissal in an official statement. The announcement read: "A physical floor and a plank wear inspection was carried out on car numbers 16 and 44. The skids shown in the area -825> X.R.>- 1025 are found to be not in compliance with Article 3.5.9."

In a twisted turn of events, Hamilton and Leclerc's disqualifications became the saving grace for other racers. The pair's removal from their respective second and fifth positions saw Lando Norris of McLaren ascend to second and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz in third.

Sergio Perez, who battled against Hamilton for the second spot in the championship standings, received the fourth position. Mercedes' George Russell graced the fifth spot, while Pierre Gasly, Lance Stroll, Yuki Tsunoda, and Alex Albon enjoyed the other top ten ranks thanks to the disqualification. Additionally, Logan Sargent earned his first-ever thanks to the post-race rulings.

The FIA Hall of Fame honoree's removal from second position at Formula One's Austin Grand Prix received negative reactions from fans. Many felt the technical breach outcome was the organization's move to stop Hamilton's winning streak, while others labeled the F1 as a shady sport.

These upset racing lovers expressed their grievances on the X platform with a conspiracy theorist ranting: "I don’t think I can do this anymore @F1 @MercedesAMGF1 @LewisHamilton @fia let Redbull run illegal flexi floors and wings for most of the season without dropping a single point but the second Lewis looks like winning one race they find anything to disqualify him!"

"I’ll never watch this corrupt sport ever again," another displeased social media user claimed. A third echoed similar dissatisfaction, writing, "This is ridiculous. F1 has deteriorated, particularly in the last few years."

A fan described the situation as "Nonsense!!!!!!" While someone else attacked the FIA, declaring their regulations as a conspiracy against Hamilton's success. The individual tweeted, "No one has been disqualified for a plank thing situation since 1994. Most FIA rules are only applicable when Sir Lewis Hamilton is winning!"

Another Hamilton admirer declared the Pride of Britain Award recipient a G.O.A.T while shading his opponent Max Verstappen. "This is why Sir Lewis Hamilton is indisputably the greatest human being in F1. He puts that fraudulent brat Verstappen to shame," the X user chimed.

More conspiracy theories dominated the social media platform, with someone else lamenting, "Formula One isn’t even a sport anymore; it’s a social experiment to test how much more Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton can endure."