Hamilton and Leclerc Disqualified from US Grand Prix 

Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton (L) speaks with Ferrari's Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc after the Sprint race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on October 21, 2023 ahead of the United States Formula One Grand Prix. (AFP)
Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton (L) speaks with Ferrari's Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc after the Sprint race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on October 21, 2023 ahead of the United States Formula One Grand Prix. (AFP)
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Hamilton and Leclerc Disqualified from US Grand Prix 

Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton (L) speaks with Ferrari's Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc after the Sprint race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on October 21, 2023 ahead of the United States Formula One Grand Prix. (AFP)
Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton (L) speaks with Ferrari's Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc after the Sprint race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on October 21, 2023 ahead of the United States Formula One Grand Prix. (AFP)

Mercedes accepted their punishment after Formula One stewards disqualified Lewis Hamilton from second place in Sunday's US Grand Prix along with sixth-placed Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc.

The governing FIA had reported both drivers to stewards after their cars failed post-race checks on the under-floor wooden planks at Austin's Circuit of the Americas (COTA).

Stewards imposed the standard penalty after both teams acknowledged the measurements carried out by the FIA were correct.

Mercedes had stated that the high wear on the skid pads was probably due to the bumpy track and the race being run to a sprint format for the first time.

That meant a 100km race on Saturday and only one practice session instead of the usual three.

"Set-up choices on a sprint weekend are always a challenge with just one hour of free practice, and even more so at a bumpy circuit like COTA and running a new package," said Mercedes principal Toto Wolff.

"In the end, all of that doesn't matter; others got it right where we got it wrong and there's no wiggle room in the rules.

"We need to take it on the chin, do the learning, and come back stronger next weekend."

The race was won by Red Bull's Max Verstappen, the 50th victory of the triple world champion's career and record-equaling 15 of the season.

Mercedes had brought an upgraded car to Texas and Hamilton, whose teammate George Russell moved up to fifth, had looked more competitive.

"We can take a lot of positives from the car performance today," said Wolff.

"This is a circuit where only a few races ago we wouldn't have performed well because of the fast, sweeping corners. The upgrade seems to have made the car happier in those areas and it is working well. Directionally, it's a very good sign."

The disqualifications meant Leclerc's teammate Carlos Sainz moved up to third.



Djokovic Claims he Was 'Poisoned' Before 2022 Australian Open Deportation

Novak Djokovic of Serbia attends a press conference ahead of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 10 January 2025. EPA/ROLEX DELA PENA
Novak Djokovic of Serbia attends a press conference ahead of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 10 January 2025. EPA/ROLEX DELA PENA
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Djokovic Claims he Was 'Poisoned' Before 2022 Australian Open Deportation

Novak Djokovic of Serbia attends a press conference ahead of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 10 January 2025. EPA/ROLEX DELA PENA
Novak Djokovic of Serbia attends a press conference ahead of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia, 10 January 2025. EPA/ROLEX DELA PENA

Novak Djokovic has claimed that he was "poisoned" by lead and mercury in his food while he was briefly held in Melbourne in 2022 before being deported on the eve of the Australian Open, AFP reported.

The former world number one had his visa cancelled and was eventually kicked out of the country over his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid.

He was held in a detention hotel as he fought a fruitless legal battle to remain.

"I had some health issues. And I realized that in that hotel in Melbourne I was fed some food that poisoned me," the 37-year-old Djokovic told GQ magazine in a lengthy interview published Thursday.

"I had some discoveries when I came back to Serbia. I never told this to anybody publicly, but discoveries that I had a really high level of heavy metal. I had lead, a very high level of lead and mercury."

When asked if he believed his food was contaminated, the Serb replied: "That's the only way."

Djokovic refused to elaborate on Friday in Melbourne when asked if he had any evidence that his high heavy metal blood levels were linked to the food he was given.

But he did not back down from the poisoning allegations.

"The GQ article came out yesterday ... I've done that interview many months ago," Djokovic said as he was preparing for a tilt at an 11th Australian Open title and 25th Grand Slam crown.

"I would appreciate not talking more in detail about that because I'd like to focus on the tennis and why I am here.

"If you want to see what I've said and get more info on that, you can always revert to the article."

A spokesperson for Australia's Department of Home Affairs said it could not comment on individual cases "for privacy reasons".

But the government says a lease agreement with the Park Hotel where he was held provides for freshly cooked, individually portioned lunches and dinners for detainees.

- No grudge -

All catering staff have undertaken food safety certifications, it says.

And, as of December 31, 2021, the hotel had been providing samples of the food provided to detainees at each meal to the contractor responsible for detention services.

Australia says detainees had access to a variety of food and drink that was nutritious, culturally appropriate and satisfied specific medical or dietary requirements.

They were also offered breakfast items such as bread, cereal, noodles, tea and coffee at any time of the day or night.

Djokovic insisted that he does not hold "any grudge over the Australian people" despite the 2022 controversy. A year later, he returned to Melbourne where he swept to the title.

"A lot of Australian people that I meet in Australia the last few years or elsewhere in the world, have come up to me, apologizing to me for the treatment I received because they were embarrassed by their own government at that point," he said in the GQ article.

"And I think the government's changed, and they reinstated my visa, and I was very grateful for that.

"I actually love being there, and I think my results are a testament to my sensation of playing tennis and just being in that country."

However, he added: "Never met the people that deported me from that country a few years ago. I don't have a desire to meet with them. If I do one day, that's fine as well. I'm happy to shake hands and move on."