Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have been disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix because their cars failed post-race technical inspections.
Leclerc and Hamilton finished fifth and sixth for Ferrari in Shanghai, but their cars violated different technical regulations during checks by the FIA technical delegate.
Leclerc`s car was found to be 1kg underweight. Hamilton`s car was disqualified for excessive wear on the skid block, similar to the plank issue that cost him second place at the 2023 United States GP when he was driving for Mercedes.
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Ferrari stated that Leclerc was using a one-stop strategy, leading to high tire wear and the car being underweight. Regarding Hamilton`s skid wear, they admitted misjudging the consumption slightly.
“There was no intention to gain any advantage,” Ferrari added. “We will learn from today`s events and ensure we avoid similar mistakes. This is not how we wanted to conclude our Chinese GP weekend, for ourselves or our supportive fans.”
Revised Chinese GP Top 10
1) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
2) Lando Norris, McLaren
3) George Russell, Mercedes
4) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
5) Esteban Ocon, Haas
6) Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
7) Alex Albon, Williams
8) Oliver Bearman, Haas
9) Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
10) Carlos Sainz, Williams
Stewards stated there were `no mitigating circumstances` and `the team confirmed it was a genuine error on their part`.
The disqualifications cost Ferrari potentially 18 crucial points in the Constructors` Championship, dropping them to fifth place behind Williams and 61 points behind leaders McLaren. Hamilton is now ninth in the Drivers` Championship with nine points, and Leclerc is tenth with eight points. Lando Norris leads with 44 points.
Alpine`s Pierre Gasly, who finished 11th, was also disqualified for failing post-race weight checks.
Ferrari’s double disqualification significantly altered the top 10, benefiting Haas the most. Esteban Ocon moved from seventh to fifth, and Oliver Bearman rose from 10th to eighth. Mercedes` Kimi Antonelli advanced to sixth, and Williams` Alex Albon to seventh. Lance Stroll from Aston Martin moved to ninth, and Carlos Sainz claimed the final point for Williams in 10th.
Why was Hamilton disqualified?
Similar to the 2023 Austin event, Hamilton`s car failed post-race checks. FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer found the plank assembly thickness under his SF-25 car to be below the minimum 9mm requirement. Measurements showed the rear skid thickness was 8.6mm on the left, 8.6mm in the center, and 8.5mm on the right.
F1 teams aim to run cars as low as possible for aerodynamic advantages but must ensure skid blocks don`t wear beyond minimum limits during the race.
Before his disqualification, Hamilton admitted struggling with performance after set-up changes following his Sprint race win. He mentioned making changes to improve the car for qualifying, which worsened it, and the race was even worse. He acknowledged learning from the experience.
When asked about Ferrari`s ride-height challenges, Hamilton dismissed suggestions they had raised the car, stating they made other minor changes that collectively worsened performance. He referred to a change Charles tested in Bahrain that both drivers tried, which proved to be detrimental.
Why was Leclerc disqualified?
Leclerc`s Ferrari, along with Gasly`s Alpine, was found to be 1kg underweight. This was determined after draining fuel and taking a mandatory fuel sample, even considering the damaged front wing Leclerc had during the race.
Leclerc’s car was damaged in a first-lap incident with Hamilton. Ferrari opted not to replace it, and Leclerc performed competitively, even finishing ahead of Hamilton after a suggested position swap.
Jo Bauer explained that Leclerc’s car weighed 800.0kg after the race, the minimum required weight. After re-weighing with a spare front wing, the weight was 800.5kg. After draining fuel and taking a 2.0-liter sample, the car weighed 799.0kg.
Technical regulation breaches typically have no leeway, regardless of the infringement`s marginality or potential performance gain.
Formula 1 is heading to the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit on April 4-6.
Gilbert Pendleton 
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