The controversial episode ad Austin, who saw the disqualification di Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, hours after the end of the United States Grand Prix, has reignited controversy over the FIA's management of single-seater checks. The regulation is clear. It is up to the FIA to check that the teams respect the technical rules. You can do this by selecting a certain number of cars at the end of the race. In Austin, among four cars checked, those of Leclerc and Hamilton showed too much wear on the pad underneath the single-seater. This led to the exclusion of the two drivers from the final classification. Hamilton missed out on the podium, while Leclerc was stripped of sixth place. The two didn't appreciate it, and neither did the fans. Certainly the fact that this occurred during a Sprint weekend played an important factor.
One of the most popular questions was "but why doesn't the FIA check all the cars?". Indeed, given the conditions of the track and the Sprint weekend it is difficult to think that only those two cars were not up to standard. But with such a busy calendar, and a hat-trick in the corner even the FIA has little time to carry out checks and return the cars to the teams for the following GP. This prevents a blanket check.
The controversy of spot checks
The event in Austin has raised controversy regarding the validity of the FIA's inspection method. Despite the disqualification controversy in Austin, the FIA defended its system. Emphasizing that checks are carried out on a random basis and that it would be impractical to conduct complete inspections on every participating car. The governing body said its process was a serious deterrent against rule breaches. Although criticism increased following the disqualification of the famous Hamilton-Leclerc duo.
The FIA has made it clear that post-race scrutineering is vital to maintaining the integrity of the championship and ensuring that all teams respect the rules established by Formula 1. The disqualification of Hamilton and Leclerc has highlighted the need for greater transparency in the decision-making process.
The FIA's explanation
"Conducting these tests involves a huge amount of work in the short time available after the conclusion of a Grand Prix and before the cars have to be returned to their respective teams to be dismantled and transported to the next race. Although a wide range of checks are carried out, It is impossible to cover all parameters of every car in the short time available, especially on weekends when there are consecutive races, when transport deadlines must also be respected", has explained the Federation.
Despite the criticism, the governing body has insisted that its system is in the best shape possible. He also made it clear that he will continue to work to improve the effectiveness of post-race technical checks. While ensuring fair and fair competition between Formula 1 teams.
“The process of randomly selecting a number of cars for post-race scrutineering on various aspects of the regulations is particularly valuable – is underlined – because each team is aware that they can be selected and realizes that the possibility of discovering any lack of compliance is high".
