Lewis Hamilton's second-place finish in the Formula One United States Grand Prix was nullified hours after the race when race officials identified a technical rules violation involving the skid block under his car.

This decision erased Hamilton's highest finish in several months and came at a time when Mercedes was showing renewed vitality and improved speed in a season that had been dominated by Max Verstappen and his Red Bull car. Hamilton had closed the gap to Verstappen to within 2.2 seconds at the finish line and may have caught up with a few more laps, as reported by the Associated Press (AP).

"It is, of course, disappointing to be disqualified after the race, but that doesn't diminish the progress we made this weekend," said Hamilton.

The issue emerged during the post-race inspection when race stewards scrutinized the skid block. The wooden resin block, also known as the "plank" beneath the car, is used to ensure compliance with the regulations regarding the distance between the cars and the ground for improved speed and performance. It also serves as a safety measure. If the skid block is found to have been reduced by more than 1 millimeter, both the car and the driver are disqualified.

Both Hamilton and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who finished sixth, were disqualified, while Verstappen's car passed inspection.

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff acknowledged the bumpy conditions at the Circuit of the Americas, which Hamilton and Verstappen had mentioned should be addressed, as well as the limited car setup time for teams on a sprint race weekend.

The disqualification announcement from race officials indicated that Mercedes raised similar concerns with them in an attempt to mitigate any penalty.

"The Stewards note that the onus is on the competitor to ensure that the car is in compliance with the regulations at all times during an event," race officials stated.

Wolff confirmed that Mercedes would not contest the decision.

"Others got it right where we got it wrong, and there's no room for interpretation in the rules. We need to accept it, learn from it, and return stronger next weekend," Wolff stated.

Hamilton's disqualification elevated McLaren's Lando Norris from third to second place, and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz moved up to third.

Another beneficiary of the disqualification was Williams driver Logan Sargeant, who advanced from 12th to 10th, earning his first point of the season