A car can finish near the front and still lose its result because of the wear underneath. Formula One checks the plank and skid assembly to help control how low the car runs. At the twenty twenty-three United States Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified after the wear check. The speed on the stopwatch was real. But the car still had to meet the technical rules when the inspectors measured it.
Historical Austin2023 disqualifications; measurement demonstration shown, no claim of deliberate cheating.
Sources: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/explained-why-hamilton-and-leclerc-were-disqualified-from-the-united-states.35mNgpUwUVjJiePtPjEWWQ, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldD0lWG1fjQ
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