Max Verstappen won both races. In the main race, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc finished second and sixth respectively but were disqualified due to post-race scrutineering determining that their skid blocks were excessively worn. The race became the first that ended with more than one driver disqualified since the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix. Due to this, Logan Sargeant was promoted to tenth place and scored his first career point. It was the only time when Sargeant scored points in his career as he was dropped by Williams midway through the following season.
^1 – Kevin Magnussen qualified 14th, but he was required to start the race from the pit lane as elements of different specifications from the ones originally used were installed on his car during parc fermé conditions.[15][16]
^2 – Nico Hülkenberg qualified 16th, but he was required to start the race from the pit lane as elements of different specifications from the ones originally used were installed on his car during parc fermé conditions.[15][17]
^3 – Fernando Alonso qualified 17th, but he was required to start the race from the pit lane as elements of different specifications from the ones originally used were installed on his car during parc fermé conditions.[15][18]
^4 – Lance Stroll qualified 19th, but he was required to start the race from the pit lane as elements of different specifications from the ones originally used were installed on his car during parc fermé conditions.[15][19]
Sprint shootout
The sprint shootout was held on October 21, 2023, at 12:30 local time (UTC−5), and determined the starting grid for the sprint.[9]
^1 – George Russell finished seventh, but he received a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.[26]
^2 – Zhou Guanyu finished 16th, but he received a five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.[26]
Race
The race was held on October 22, 2023, at 14:00 local time (UTC−5), and was run for 56 laps.[9]
Race report
Max Verstappen, despite brake issues, won the race, his fifteenth victory in the season. Verstappen held off Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris, who had both led during the race and ultimately finished second and third respectively. Both drivers showed pace, getting closer to Verstappen during the closing stages. Yuki Tsunoda achieved the fastest lap.[28] There were three retirements. Oscar Piastri retired with damage to his radiator and a water leak after making contact with Esteban Ocon's sidepods, which also caused Ocon to retire.[29]Fernando Alonso, who had to start from the pit lane,[25] suffered from failures of the rear suspension and the floor.[30]
Hamilton and polesitter Charles Leclerc, who finished second and sixth respectively, were both disqualified after failing a post-race plank test.[31] Verstappen noted that the fact that a sprint was held may have contributed to the excessive wear to the plank that lead to the disqualification of Leclerc and Hamilton.[32] This disqualification means that Leclerc became the first driver to start on pole position and get disqualified since Ralf Schumacher at the 2004 Canadian Grand Prix with himself and Hamilton the first drivers to be disqualified for excessive plank wear since Michael Schumacher at the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix.[33][34] This also means that he became the first Ferrari driver that failed to finish, failed to start, and was disqualified from at least one race where he started on pole position. This promoted Norris to second place, Sainz to third, and gave Logan Sargeant his first (and only) Formula One point.[31] This marked the first time an American had scored in Formula One since Michael Andretti at the 1993 Italian Grand Prix.[35][36]
Track limits controversies
Following the race, still images appeared to show both Sergio Pérez and Alexander Albon breaching track limits at turn 6. However, these breaches went undetected as, according to the FIA, the CCTV camera being used to monitor track limits at that corner had been placed at an inadequate viewing position. Lando Norris also admitted to breaching track limits at this corner several times during the race. The FIA stated they would "update [their] monitoring infrastructure to provide enhanced coverage to ensure that any potential breaches can reliably be identified during the race in future."[37][38] However, thirteen days after the race, the Haas team filed a right of review request, with Reuters indicating it was regarding the turn 6 track limits. Depending on the outcome of the review, the results of the race could be changed.[39] According to Motorsport.com, the onboard evidence Haas was using for its right of review indicated that Lance Stroll and the Williams drivers Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant committed multiple track limit infringements that were not detected. McLaren team principal Andrea Stella criticised Haas for their belated use of the right of review in the same article.[40] It was subsequently confirmed that a hearing on November 8 would decide whether Haas's request would be upheld. Williams, Aston Martin, and Red Bull were required to attend this hearing along with Haas.[41][42] However, the hearing was delayed by the FIA until November 9 to give stewards additional time to "independently consider the submissions made".[43] At the hearing, the Haas right of review request was rejected on the grounds of the evidence submitted by Haas being evidence that was not new (as in unavailable at the time of the original investigation by the stewards after the race) or relevant, and the results of the race were allowed to stand.[44] Despite rejecting the Haas appeal, the stewards did criticise the FIA's policing of track limits in Formula One stating 'they find their inability to enforce standards for track limits for all competitors to be completely unsatisfactory' urging the governing body to find better solutions to police track limits in the sport ahead of the 2024 season.[45] The full stewards verdict also revealed that representatives from the McLaren and Ferrari teams also chose to attend the hearing voluntarily along with the representatives from the four teams summoned as well as representatives from the FIA itself.[46]
^Cleeren, Filip; Vording, Ronald (October 27, 2023). "Verstappen rallies against plan to revamp F1 sprint format". www.motorsport.com. Archived from the original on October 27, 2023. Retrieved October 27, 2023. "I think we should just get rid of the sprint weekend and then everyone can just set up their cars normally, because [plank wear disqualifications] wouldn't have happened on a normal race weekend,"
