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Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have been disqualified from the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix after their cars failed post-race technical checks at the Shanghai International Circuit. The ruling comes as a major setback for Ferrari, stripping both drivers of crucial points early in the 2025 season.
Leclerc had initially secured fifth place, with Hamilton finishing sixth. However, post-race inspections revealed that Leclerc's car was underweight, while Hamilton's rear skid block was found to be below the minimum thickness required by the FIA regulations.
A report from the FIA F1 Technical Delegate confirmed that Leclerc's SF-25 weighed 799kg after the mandatory fuel drain, falling just below the minimum requirement of 800kg. "When fuel was drained from the car, with two litres being removed as per the draining procedure submitted by Ferrari, it dropped to a weight of 799kg," the report stated. Similarly, Alpine's Pierre Gasly was also disqualified for a weight infringement, having fallen below the minimum weight after a fuel mass check.
Hamilton's disqualification stemmed from a breach of Article 3.5.9 of the FIA Technical Regulations, which mandates that the rear skid block must maintain a minimum thickness of 9mm. The FIA document detailing the findings stated: "The plank assembly of Car 44 was measured and found to be 8.6mm (LHS), 8.6mm (car centerline) and 8.5mm (RHS). This is below the minimum thickness of 9mm specified under Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations."
As a result of these disqualifications, the race standings have been reshuffled. Haas' Esteban Ocon has been promoted to fifth place, while Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli moves up to sixth. Williams' Alex Albon is now classified seventh, with Oliver Bearman eighth. Aston Martin's Lance Stroll moves into ninth, while Williams Carlos Sainz, who originally finished outside the points, now claims the final point-scoring position in tenth.
Ferrari's double disqualification marks a disastrous turn of events for the team, erasing 18 points from their championship tally. The team now faces scrutiny as they seek to recover from this early-season setback.
