Historic Double Disqualification for Ferrari at the Chinese Grand Prix
Ferrari loses both cars after technical infringements following the race results.
For the first time in its history, Scuderia Ferrari has faced the disqualification of both of its cars from a Formula 1 Grand Prix.
What began as a promising weekend in Shanghai, marked by Lewis Hamilton's victory in the sprint race, quickly devolved into a significant setback for the Italian team.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, initially classified fifth and sixth after the main race, were both excluded from the results following technical checks conducted by the FIA.
Notably, the two SF-25 cars exhibited different anomalies: Leclerc's car was found to weigh 799 kg, which is one kilogram below the minimum regulatory weight of 800 kg, while Hamilton's car had excessive wear on its floor, with the skids measuring 0.5 mm below the permissible threshold of 9 mm.
Ferrari acknowledged the violations in an official statement, stating, 'Following the technical checks conducted after the race by the FIA, it was found that both of our cars did not comply with regulations for different reasons.' They explained that Leclerc's strategy of a single pit stop resulted in excessive tire wear, leading to a car weight below the regulatory limit, while Hamilton's skid wear was a result of underestimating the consumption.
The team emphasized there was 'no intention to seek an advantage' and pledged to learn from the incident.
This double disqualification is particularly detrimental, as Ferrari has now fallen to fifth place in the Constructors' Championship, trailing McLaren by 61 points.
Ironically, Leclerc's disqualification due to insufficient weight occurred despite the installation of a new nose after the previous one was damaged during the race.
Pierre Gasly from Alpine was also disqualified for the same weight-related issue.
This setback significantly overshadowed Ferrari's weekend, despite Hamilton's encouraging victory in the sprint race on Saturday.
Following his win, Hamilton expressed that achieving his first pole in a sprint with Ferrari was a special feeling, citing the car's solidity and the team's success in delivering a strong performance for valuable points.
The public's reaction, he noted, was incredible.
What began as a promising weekend in Shanghai, marked by Lewis Hamilton's victory in the sprint race, quickly devolved into a significant setback for the Italian team.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, initially classified fifth and sixth after the main race, were both excluded from the results following technical checks conducted by the FIA.
Notably, the two SF-25 cars exhibited different anomalies: Leclerc's car was found to weigh 799 kg, which is one kilogram below the minimum regulatory weight of 800 kg, while Hamilton's car had excessive wear on its floor, with the skids measuring 0.5 mm below the permissible threshold of 9 mm.
Ferrari acknowledged the violations in an official statement, stating, 'Following the technical checks conducted after the race by the FIA, it was found that both of our cars did not comply with regulations for different reasons.' They explained that Leclerc's strategy of a single pit stop resulted in excessive tire wear, leading to a car weight below the regulatory limit, while Hamilton's skid wear was a result of underestimating the consumption.
The team emphasized there was 'no intention to seek an advantage' and pledged to learn from the incident.
This double disqualification is particularly detrimental, as Ferrari has now fallen to fifth place in the Constructors' Championship, trailing McLaren by 61 points.
Ironically, Leclerc's disqualification due to insufficient weight occurred despite the installation of a new nose after the previous one was damaged during the race.
Pierre Gasly from Alpine was also disqualified for the same weight-related issue.
This setback significantly overshadowed Ferrari's weekend, despite Hamilton's encouraging victory in the sprint race on Saturday.
Following his win, Hamilton expressed that achieving his first pole in a sprint with Ferrari was a special feeling, citing the car's solidity and the team's success in delivering a strong performance for valuable points.
The public's reaction, he noted, was incredible.