Historic Lewis Hamilton disqualification hanging over Ferrari star

Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton will head into the United States Grand Prix weekend next time out trying to banish recent woes.

And that includes both poor form at Ferrari - having not claimed a single grand prix podium since joining the team back in January - and around the Austin track.

Hamilton has had some rotten luck at recent races around the Circuit of the Americas, despite being a five-time winner of the United States GP.

The Brit came close to ending an almost two-year wait for a race victory at the 2023 United States GP, chasing down Max Verstappen, eventually finishing just over two seconds behind the Dutchman after a brilliant performance.

However, Hamilton would later be disqualified from the race, after excessive skid wear was found on his Mercedes car by FIA inspectors, and the result would all but end his hopes of chasing down Sergio Perez for second in the drivers' championship that year.

Funnily enough, Hamilton's now team-mate Charles Leclerc was also disqualified from that race, with his Ferrari having the same problem detected as Hamilton's Mercedes.

But Hamilton's recent Austin woes would not end there.

How did Hamilton perform at Austin in 2024?

In his final US GP for Mercedes, Hamilton suffered his second successive zero-pointer at the track.

The seven-time world champion started the race from 17th after a disappointing qualifying, and made up five places in the opening lap and a half.

While his team-mate George Russell started from the pit lane, Hamilton led the Mercedes charge at the beginning of the race, but got onto the kerb in sector three on lap two, and spun off the track and into the gravel.

Hamilton was beached, and couldn't play any further part in the race, while Russell went on to finish an impressive sixth, further widening the gap between the two Mercedes team-mates in the drivers' championship in their final season together.

Ferrari wary of disqualifications

Following these past two years, Hamilton will be hoping to banish the demons and claim a good result for Ferrari, with a first grand prix podium presumably on his to-do list between now and the end of the year.

However, with a history of disqualifications at the track through Leclerc, Ferrari may be extra cautious with their ride height heading into the weekend, which may just slow them down.

Hamilton was disqualified from the Chinese GP earlier this season for excessive wear issues, in a race in which Leclerc was also disqualified for his car being underweight.

The last thing Ferrari need in the remainder of the season is any more disqualifications, with the team attempting to chase down second-place Mercedes in the constructors' championship, and stave off the threat of Red Bull behind them.

It was revealed that in the races succeeding China, Ferrari were more cautious with their ride height to avoid any more potential disqualifications, and Hamilton and Leclerc will both be hoping similar caution is taken for next weekend's race at Austin.

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