Lewis Hamilton took it on the chin when he was disqualified from the US Grand Prix after battling for an impressive second place in a race where he could have been in the hunt for a win. There was obvious disappointment but for his Mercedes team it also overshadowed the cautious optimism engendered in Austin, fuelled by hopes their latest upgrades had put them on the right track for bringing their car up to speed with the Red Bull next season.
After one of the most tense races of the season the truly telling and dispiriting moment for Hamilton and Mercedes came almost four hours after the flag had fallen. Having finished just two seconds off the world champion, Max Verstappen, and in with a shot at the win but for Mercedes’ strategy calls being found wanting, Hamilton was disqualified from second place after his car was found to have breached the rules on the wear allowed to the plank beneath the car.
