The can of worms opened by Hamilton and Leclerc’s F1 US GP disqualifications

Having fallen just 2.2 seconds behind Austin race winner Max Verstappen, Mercedes racer Hamilton plus sixth-placed Leclerc were then thrown out for running with excessively worn floor planks.

They had contravened the FIA Technical Regulations which states that the plank assembly measured at designated holes can only wear by 1mm down to 9mm across a weekend.

With their rear skids deemed illegal, the standard exclusion penalty for a technical…