What's happened
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix after their Ferrari cars failed to meet technical regulations. Hamilton's skid block was worn below the limit, while Leclerc's car was underweight. This incident marks a significant setback for Ferrari early in the 2025 Formula One season.
What's behind the headline?
Key Issues for Ferrari
- Technical Failures: Both Hamilton and Leclerc's disqualifications stemmed from technical infractions, highlighting potential flaws in Ferrari's car setup and strategy.
- Impact on Championship: The disqualification cost Ferrari 18 points, placing them significantly behind McLaren in the standings, which could affect their title aspirations.
- Team Dynamics: Hamilton's transition to Ferrari was initially promising, but this setback may strain team morale and cohesion.
Future Implications
- Regulatory Scrutiny: Ferrari's errors may lead to increased scrutiny from the FIA, impacting their future races.
- Driver Performance: Hamilton's and Leclerc's performances will be under the microscope as they seek to recover from this setback.
- Strategic Adjustments: Ferrari must reassess their strategies and car setups to avoid repeating these mistakes in upcoming races.
What the papers say
According to Jonathan M. Gitlin from Ars Technica, Ferrari's disqualification was a result of genuine errors regarding the technical specifications of their cars. Gitlin notes that Hamilton's skid block was found to be 0.5mm below the required thickness, while Leclerc's car was 1kg underweight. This was echoed by Giles Richards in The Guardian, who emphasized that Ferrari acknowledged their mistakes and the need to learn from them. Richards also pointed out the historical significance of this incident, marking it as Ferrari's first double disqualification in their 75-year F1 history. The South China Morning Post added that this disqualification not only cost Ferrari points but also raised questions about their competitiveness against teams like McLaren, who have started the season strongly. Overall, the consensus among sources highlights the critical nature of Ferrari's technical failures and the potential long-term implications for their championship hopes.
How we got here
The 2025 Formula One season began with high expectations for Ferrari, especially after Hamilton's impressive performance in the sprint race. However, the team's double disqualification in China has raised concerns about their competitiveness and reliability.
Go deeper
- What led to Ferrari's disqualification?
- How will this affect Hamilton's performance?
- What are Ferrari's next steps in the season?
More on these topics
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Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton MBE HonFREng is a British racing driver currently competing in Formula One for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team.
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China, officially the People's Republic of China, is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population of around 1.4 billion in 2019.
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Charles Leclerc is a Monégasque racing driver, currently driving in Formula One, under the Monégasque flag, for Scuderia Ferrari. Leclerc won the GP3 Series championship in 2016 and the FIA Formula 2 Championship in 2017.
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Oscar Piastri is an Australian racing driver and member of the Alpine Academy. He won the 2019 Formula Renault Eurocup, and is currently the reigning FIA Formula 3 champion. As of 2021, he participates in the Formula 2 Championship with Prema Racing.
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Lando Norris is a British-Belgian racing driver. Currently competing in Formula One, for McLaren, he races under the British flag.
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The Chinese Grand Prix is a round of the Formula One World Championship. It is currently held at the Shanghai International Circuit, Jiading, Shanghai, designed by Hermann Tilke.
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Ferrari is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1939 out of Alfa Romeo's race division as Auto Avio Costruzioni, the company built its first car in 1940.