The short answer is no, we don’t think so. The corrosive surface of COTA was the main talking point the whole weekend, with several drivers (including Verstappen) noting how bad the surface was. But there were other factors.
As this was a Sprint weekend, the teams also had little time to make adjustments to their cars, with only one practice session before Qualifying, after which the cars were held under Parc Ferme regulations, under which teams are not allowed to make major alterations.
Even if Mercedes and Ferrari noticed an inordinate amount of wear on the plank, there wasn’t enough time to fix the problem. They also weren’t able to run any practice stints long enough to replicate race wear, prepping purely for qualifying and the subsequent Sprint race.
These were the excuses tabled by both teams when they met with the FIA after the disqualifications, and while they do seem valid, the FIA noted that, ultimately, “the onus is on the competitor to ensure that the car is in compliance with the regulations at all times during an event.”
