The FIA has officially decided not to take any action against Charles Leclerc following the investigation initiated during the Sprint Qualifying of the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix. The Ferrari driver was under scrutiny for allegedly driving too slowly during his preparation lap, but the stewards determined that he did not break any rules.
The investigation into Charles Leclerc and Ferrari: what happened with Lewis Hamilton?
During the session, Charles Leclerc was on track behind Lance Stroll and ahead of Lewis Hamilton. According to the stewards’ analysis, the Monegasque was trying to create a proper gap to start his fast lap, waiting for Stroll to begin his push lap. At that moment, following instructions from the Mercedes team, Hamilton overtook Charles Leclerc.
The FIA examined positioning system data, onboard videos, and television footage, concluding that Charles Leclerc always maintained a reasonable speed and did not obstruct any other driver.
In the official statement, the stewards clarified: “Leclerc always maintained a reasonable speed and attempted to create an appropriate gap behind Lewis Hamilton. Everything occurred in an orderly manner, and no car behind was affected by this.”
As a result, the Monegasque driver was not deemed responsible for driving “unnecessarily slowly” and did not gain any sporting advantage from his actions. The FIA has therefore decided that no further action will be taken against the Ferrari driver.
This decision brings some relief to Ferrari after the difficulties faced during the Melbourne weekend. With the goal of redemption in China, Leclerc can now fully focus on the Sprint and Sunday’s race without any pending penalties.
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