Charles Leclerc at the 2023 United States Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc's 2023 United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas was defined by a pole position start that ultimately yielded no championship points following a post-race technical infringement. The weekend began with considerable promise for the Monégasque driver and Scuderia Ferrari, as Leclerc expertly navigated qualifying to secure the top spot on the grid. This strong starting position, a testament to Ferrari's single-lap pace, set the stage for what was anticipated to be a challenging but potentially rewarding race on the demanding Austin circuit. Throughout the 56 laps, Leclerc maintained a competitive pace, completing the race with a total time of 1:35:46.024. His quickest individual lap, a 1:41.025, was recorded on lap 38, placing him 13th in the fastest lap rankings for the event. The on-track performance, while not leading to a podium, suggested a solid points finish for the team, crucial in their constructor's championship battle against rivals like Mercedes and McLaren.

However, the narrative of Leclerc's race dramatically shifted post-chequered flag. A routine technical inspection by the FIA revealed that his Ferrari SF-23 exhibited "Illegal skid block wear," a breach of the technical regulations. This infringement, specifically Article 3.5.9 e) of the [FIA — F1 World Championship](https://www.fia.com/events/fia-formula-one-world-championship) Sporting Regulations, stipulates minimum thickness for the plank underneath the car, designed to prevent cars from running too low and gaining an aerodynamic advantage. The finding led to Leclerc's disqualification, stripping him of the points he had provisionally earned. This outcome meant 0 points for Leclerc, a significant blow given his pole position start and the team's ongoing fight for championship standing. It also meant that his teammate, [Carlos Sainz Jr.](/results/2025-monza-charles-leclerc), who finished third, became the sole points scorer for Scuderia Ferrari in Austin, salvaging some constructor points. The severity of such technical breaches is a stark reminder of the intricate engineering and regulatory environment in which Formula 1 operates, where even minor deviations can have major consequences. This particular race also saw [Lewis Hamilton](/results/2025-monza-lewis-hamilton) disqualified for the same infraction, indicating a potential track-specific challenge or car setup issue for multiple teams that weekend, possibly exacerbated by the bumpy nature of the Circuit of the Americas. The comprehensive data on race outcomes and technical details can be explored further through resources like [Jolpica/Ergast — 2026 season data](https://api.jolpi.ca/ergast/f1/2026.json) or the official [Formula 1 — official site](https://www.formula1.com/en) archives, which track every aspect of the [Wikipedia: Formula One](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formula_One) season and its technical evolution.