In a surprising turn of events, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix, marking a significant setback for Ferrari.
Ferrari’s recent outing at the Chinese Grand Prix took a dramatic turn as both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified. Hamilton, a seven-time World Champion, was excluded from the race results due to excessive wear on the skid blocks of his SF-25. Meanwhile, Leclerc’s car was found to be underweight, a mere kilogram below the mandatory 800kg after fuel drainage. This incident echoes Hamilton’s previous disqualification for a similar reason during the 2023 United States Grand Prix when he was with Mercedes.
This double disqualification has been termed as one of Ferrari’s biggest ‘disgraces’ by former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone. He revealed that former Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo was ‘horrified’ by the incident, stating that Italy hadn’t faced such embarrassment since the inception of the World Championship. Ecclestone’s insights followed a conversation at Eric Clapton’s 80th birthday bash, where Montezemolo expressed his shock and disappointment.
Speculation surrounds Leclerc’s disqualification, with theories suggesting that his one-stop strategy might have played a role, similar to Mercedes’ George Russell’s ordeal at the Belgian Grand Prix. Bernie’s advice to Leclerc was that he could have easily avoided the weight issue by collecting ‘pickup’ — stray tire rubber scattered on the track during the cooldown lap — which could have helped maintain the minimum weight requirement.
Interestingly, despite the disqualifications, Ferrari seems undeterred in refining their SF-25. Reports from Italy indicate that the team has been busy experimenting with various suspension configurations in their simulator, seeking to unlock the car’s true potential ahead of the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix. Ferrari remains convinced that while there are no fundamental flaws, the SF-25 is highly sensitive to ride-height adjustments, something they are keen to optimize further.
Ferrari’s endeavors continue with hope, as post-race evaluations revealed that they were forced to compromise their setup during the Australian Grand Prix due to the car’s low ground clearance. As the team gears up for Suzuka, they focus on extracting performance while avoiding past pitfalls. Whether these technical alterations will translate into success on the track remains to be seen.
With both Hamilton and Leclerc excluded from the Chinese Grand Prix results, Ferrari faces a critical moment in their 2025 season. The team is actively working to address technical challenges, with sights set on achieving better results in future races.
