Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton Disqualified From the Chinese Grand Prix

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton’s Chinese GP weekends went from bad to worse with the the FIA disqualifying both Ferrari drivers in the hours after the race.

After the chequered flag, as is the procedure, the FIA officials weighed cars to see if they were meeting the 800kg (1763.7 lb.) mark. And they found discrepancies with Leclerc and Hamilton’s SF-25s.

The front wing on Leclerc’s car was missing due to a collision with Hamilton on lap one of the race. As a result, the FIA added a spare part and carried out the process, only to find that the car’s weight was 799 kg (without fuel), making it underweight. The same issue could lead to a disqualification for Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. A statement published read:

“As this is 1.0 kg below the minimum weight requested in TR Article 4.1, which also has to be respected at all times during the Competition, I am referring this matter to the Stewards for their consideration.” 

On the other hand, there was a problem with the skid block (plank) in Hamilton’s car. It had excessive wear.

According to the report, the skid thickness was measured at three points, with values of 8.6 mm (left-hand side), 8.6 mm (center), and 8.5 mm (right-hand side)—all below the minimum required thickness of 9 mm.

There was a hearing conducted shortly after both Hamilton and Leclerc were reported to the stewards. But it didn’t go in their favor. “There are no mitigating circumstances and that the team confirmed that it was a genuine error by them,” a statement read.

The 22 points earned by Ferrari in the Grand Prix have been wiped out, with the total haul standing at just 13 as of now. They have slipped down to P5 in the Constructors’ standings as a result.