The decision wiped out Hamilton’s best finish in months as Mercedes showed some new life and new pace in a season dominated by Max Verstappen.The decision wiped out Hamilton's best finish in months and comes just as Mercedes showed some new life and new pace in a season dominated by Verstappen and his Red Bull car. Hamilton had chased Verstappen to within 2.2 seconds of the winner at the finish line and may have caught if given a few extra laps.
The problem came in the post-race inspection when race stewards inspected the skid block. The wood resin block, or “plank” under the car is used to ensure teams follow the rules of how close they run the cars to the ground in search of better speed and performance. The disqualification announcement from race officials noted the Mercedes team argued the same issues with them in hopes of mitigating any penalty.