Ferrari made history at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix with their first-ever double disqualification, as both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were stripped of their results following post-race scrutineering.
Despite achieving fifth and sixth place after 56 laps at the Shanghai International Circuit, the duo’s results were nullified. The Monegasque’s SF-25 was found to be 1kg under the 800kg minimum weight requirement, while the Briton’s car had excessive plank wear, with the FIA measuring the thickness at 8.6mm, 8.6mm, and 8.5mm at three key points—below the mandated 9mm.
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton’s exclusion, along with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly for a similar underweight issue, marked a disappointing chapter in Ferrari’s 2025 campaign, highlighting significant concerns over the car’s performance.
Charles Leclerc’s early race contact with the seven-time Formula 1 world champion, which led to the loss of a front wing end plate, was not responsible for the underweight issue, as Ferrari replaced it before the weighing. Instead, the team’s one-stop strategy led to higher-than-expected tyre wear, contributing to the car’s weight discrepancy. Moreover, Ferrari misjudged Hamilton’s ride height during the race, forcing the 40-year-old to run lower to the ground than intended.
Reports from the Italian media suggest that Ferrari’s double DSQ also exposed what they termed the team’s “performance anxiety.” Pre-season testing in Bahrain had already revealed that the 2025 SF-25 was more complex than initially anticipated, particularly after Ferrari redesigned its front suspension in hopes of widening the car’s operating window. However, the first two races have shown that the team’s performance issues have only intensified.
The Chinese Grand Prix, in particular, highlighted Ferrari’s struggles in normal racing conditions, with the team only appearing to be the fourth-fastest in a settled race environment. In contrast, the Australian Grand Prix had been influenced by weather challenges, which obscured the full potential of the SF-25. Despite initial optimism following Hamilton’s F1 Sprint win in Shanghai, the main race saw him regress, struggling to match the pace of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, as well as Mercedes’ George Russell.
The performance gap became evident when Lewis Hamilton allowed Charles Leclerc to pass in a bid to minimize further issues. These struggles will raise significant concerns at Maranello, as the SF-25 appears unable to compete with the top teams on a consistent basis.
As Ferrari looks ahead to the Japanese Grand Prix, their concerns will only deepen if Leclerc and Hamilton continue to fall short in normal race conditions. The team’s new suspension, designed to provide a performance boost, is forcing them to run lower to the ground in order to gain lap time, creating a difficult balancing act that risks excessive floor wear and further compromising their race results. Ferrari’s performance anxiety is unlikely to subside until they find a way to address these key technical issues.
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