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Lewis Hamilton’s eventful weekend at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix ended in disappointment after the seven-time World Champion was disqualified from the race due to a skid block breach. Despite securing a remarkable Sprint victory, Hamilton’s Sunday performance was hindered by post-Sprint set-up changes that left his Ferrari feeling “terrible.”
Hamilton’s Sprint Success Turns into Grand Prix Nightmare
Hamilton enjoyed a high point in Shanghai by clinching pole position in Friday’s Sprint Qualifying, followed by a commanding Sprint race victory on Saturday—his maiden win for Scuderia Ferrari. However, Sunday’s main event painted a different picture.
Starting from P5, Hamilton’s race took a challenging turn when he collided with teammate Charles Leclerc on the opening lap. Opting for a two-stop strategy—unlike many of his rivals—Hamilton managed to pump in some fastest laps toward the end but was unable to recover the lost time, eventually crossing the line in sixth place.
Skid Block Breach Leads to Disqualification
Post-race checks revealed that Hamilton’s car violated the FIA’s technical regulations regarding skid block wear. According to the Technical Delegate’s report:
“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, Hamilton was disqualified from the race, marking a double blow for Ferrari after Charles Leclerc was also disqualified due to his car being under the minimum weight requirement.
Hamilton Admits Post-Sprint Changes Affected Car Performance
Speaking after the race—but before the disqualification was announced—Hamilton acknowledged that changes made after the Sprint victory had adversely affected his car’s balance and pace during the Grand Prix.
“I feel okay. I wasn’t able to get the result that I was hoping for today. I needed a good start—which I got—and I was trying to see if I could pounce forwards, but I just didn’t have the pace of the cars up ahead.”
Hamilton explained that the changes made after the Sprint victory drastically altered the car’s handling:
“And just balance-wise, from the Sprint race we made these changes and the car was terrible after that, so I really struggled with the car from then on.”
Learning from Mistakes and Looking Ahead
Despite the setback, Hamilton remains optimistic about learning from the experience. He expressed confidence that the team would analyze the errors and avoid repeating them in future races.
“I think it’s good learnings and hopefully [we] won’t do that again as I continue to learn this car. I think there’s definitely positives to take from the weekend.”
Hamilton emphasized the importance of staying focused, acknowledging that Ferrari is losing ground to McLaren, Mercedes, and Max Verstappen in the championship battle.
“Obviously we’re losing ground to the McLarens points-wise, McLaren and Mercedes and [Max] Verstappen, but we’ve just got to keep pushing.”
Ferrari Falls Further Behind After Double Disqualification
With Hamilton and Leclerc both disqualified from the Chinese GP, Ferrari lost a crucial 18 points, dropping their tally to just 17 points. Meanwhile, McLaren extended their lead in the Constructors' Championship to 78 points, further widening the gap between the teams.
