Home
Ferrari’s 2025 Formula 1 campaign has plunged into fresh turmoil after both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were stripped of their Chinese Grand Prix results, compounding a rocky start to the season. The team’s woes began in Australia, where questionable pit strategies cost Hamilton a podium, but hopes soared when the Briton dominated Saturday’s sprint race in Shanghai, claiming pole and victory.
Those celebrations crumbled on Sunday, however, as post-race inspections disqualified Hamilton and Leclerc for technical breaches, erasing their fifth and sixth-place finishes. For Ferrari, a weekend of promise has spiraled into a crisis of confidence.
Technical woes strike twice: How Ferrari’s errors unraveled
The sting of disqualification came with brutal clarity for Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton’s car failed scrutiny when stewards discovered excessive wear on the rear skid block—a plank beneath the chassis designed to regulate ride height. According to the stewards’ report, measurements fell short of the 9mm minimum:
“The plank assembly of Car 44 was measured and found to be 8.6mm (LHS), 8.6mm (car centerline) and 8.5mm (RHS).”
Ferrari accepted responsibility, calling it a “genuine error” with no excuses—a rare admission of fault from the storied team.
Charles Leclerc’s disqualification followed a separate blow: his SF-25 weighed in 1kg below the regulatory minimum. The breach, discovered post-race, marked another unforced error in a season already riddled with mishaps. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly joined the duo in disgrace for the same underweight violation, though his disqualification did little to soften Ferrari’s humiliation.
For Lewis Hamilton, the penalty capped a chaotic Sunday. After clashing with Leclerc on the opening lap, he battled handling issues, sliding to sixth before the ruling erased even that modest result. The seven-time champion’s sprint win now feels like a distant memory.
Fallout and silver linings
The dual disqualifications reshuffled the standings, promoting Esteban Ocon, Kimi Antonelli, Alex Albon, and Ollie Bearman into points-paying positions. Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz also snuck into the top 10, salvaging crumbs for Aston Martin and Sauber. But for Ferrari, the takeaways are grim.
The team’s technical missteps—wear from aggressive setup choices and a critical weight miscalculation—highlight a pattern of self-inflicted wounds. After years of chasing Red Bull, Ferrari’s 2025 car showed flashes of speed in China, only to falter under regulatory scrutiny. With Hamilton’s high-profile arrival meant to galvanize the team, these errors raise uncomfortable questions about operational discipline.
A long road ahead
Ferrari’s challenge now is twofold: addressing reliability concerns and rebuilding morale. For Lewis Hamilton, the setback is a stark reminder of the uphill battle he faces in his quest for an eighth title. Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, must navigate yet another blow to his championship aspirations.
As the grid heads to Miami, Ferrari’s engineers will scramble to ensure history doesn’t repeat. But in Formula 1, where milliseconds and millimeters define glory or grief, redemption won’t come easy.
