Ferrari Reels from Double Disqualification After Chinese Grand Prix
Shanghai, China — Ferrari has suffered a major blow in the 2025 Formula 1 championship campaign, after both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were disqualified from Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix. The stewards ruled that neither car met post-race technical regulations, stripping the team of crucial points in a tight title fight.
Leclerc, who had originally crossed the line in fifth place, was the first to be disqualified. The Monegasque’s SF-25 was found to be 1kg under the minimum weight limit, even after being fitted with a replacement front wing following a first-lap incident. He completed the race without one of the wing’s endplates, which may have contributed to the weight shortfall. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was also disqualified for the same infraction.
Later, Hamilton’s car was also called into question. The rearward skid block on his Ferrari was found to be 0.5mm below the minimum thickness requirement. The Briton, who had initially finished sixth behind his team-mate, was also removed from the final results.
“Following the FIA post-race scrutineering both our cars were found not to conform to the regulations for different reasons,” Ferrari said in a statement. “Charles was on a one-stop strategy today and this meant his tyre wear was very high, causing the car to be underweight.”
Pirelli had predicted a two-stop race for Shanghai, but cooler track conditions and lower-than-expected tyre degradation led many drivers, including Leclerc, to attempt one-stop strategies. It was a gamble that backfired for Ferrari.
Hamilton’s disqualification echoes his 2023 US Grand Prix exclusion, also for skid wear infringement. Leclerc, too, faced a similar fate in Austin that year. Ferrari acknowledged the error in Shanghai, stating: “With regard to Lewis’ skid wear, we misjudged the consumption by a small margin. There was no intention to gain any advantage. We will learn from what happened today and make sure we don’t make the same mistakes again.”
The team’s double DQ resulted in a loss of 18 points — 10 from Leclerc and eight from Hamilton. While Ferrari managed to collect 12 points from Saturday’s Sprint race, they now trail McLaren by 61 points and sit 40 points behind Mercedes in the Constructors’ standings.
In a year where every point matters in the chase against Red Bull, Mercedes, and McLaren, Sunday’s setback could prove costly. As the paddock moves on to the next round, Ferrari will be under pressure to rebound — and to ensure their cars remain compliant.
