P5 and P6 weren’t quite where Ferrari hoped to finish in China—but considering how far off the pace they were, they took it. An 18-point haul wasn’t bad for a team aiming to climb to the top gradually at this stage of the season. However, disaster soon struck.
Lewis Hamilton’s skid plank was found to have excessive wear, and Charles Leclerc’s car was 1 kg underweight. As a result, the FIA disqualified both drivers—and Pierre Gasly, who was guilty of the same offense as Leclerc—from the race’s final classification.
The news became official quite late after the race concluded, with Williams’ Carlos Sainz revealing on their Team Torque podcast that he found out while boarding his flight out of Shanghai. His teammate, Alex Albon, however, had already sensed something was wrong after a mechanic pointed out an anomaly with the two SF-25s.
“I think it was always a talking point,” he said, as seen in a clip from the podcast on Instagram. “Because I went to the garage and my number one Gorka was telling me it was very strange how the two Ferraris were left, but still in Parc Ferme… He said,’ I think something’s going on.”
Responding to Sainz, Albon further admitted that he could ‘smell’ a penalty coming for Ferrari. “That was quite soon after the race,” the Thai-British driver continued.
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“I guess I found out a bit later on my own. It was strange because in Australia, it happened the other way, I lost a position.”
Albon was referring to Kimi Antonelli’s five-second penalty in Melbourne, which, after being overturned, dropped him from P4 to P5. “So, it was a nice feeling to, like, go the other way,” the 29-year-old concluded.
In Shanghai, a series of disqualifications helped Albon climb two places and finish P7. Sainz—who had a disappointing weekend overall—also benefited, making up three spots due to Gasly’s disqualification besides the Ferraris to secure P10.
“It was after a disappointing day—I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ll take the point,’” Sainz said.
DRIVER STANDINGS (after 2/24 rounds)
It’s all bubbling up nicely #F1 #ChineseGP pic.twitter.com/kQscAvAFYz
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 23, 2025
Aside from the Williams duo, Haas’ Esteban Ocon also gained significantly, jumping two places to secure a P5 finish. Kimi Antonelli moved up from P8 to P6, Oliver Bearman from P10 to P8, and Lance Stroll from P12 to P9.
Ferrari, on the other hand, left the Grand Prix with zero points, which dropped them down to fifth in the standings. They’re at 17 points, level with Williams, heading into the Japanese GP this weekend.
