Disaster in China: Ferrari’s Double DQ Shakes Up the 2025 Season
March 2025 — In a dramatic post-race twist, Ferrari was hit with a double disqualification at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix after FIA inspectors found excessive plank wear on the cars of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. The ruling came as a shock to fans and paddock insiders alike—especially given that this is Hamilton’s debut season in red.
The incident not only strips the team of valuable championship points but raises questions about setup decisions and Ferrari’s ability to manage expectations in a high-stakes season.
Following the Grand Prix, FIA scrutineers performed standard post-race inspections and found that both Ferrari cars had skid block wear beyond the legal limit—a violation of Article 3.5.9 e) in the FIA Technical Regulations.
The regulation mandates that the plank under the car must not wear more than 1mm, ensuring teams don’t run their cars too low to the ground in search of aerodynamic gains.
“The skids underneath the car must not wear more than 1mm. Hamilton and Leclerc’s planks showed significantly more wear, triggering immediate disqualification.”
— FIA Technical Report
Ferrari quickly issued a statement acknowledging the FIA’s ruling. The team attributed the excessive wear to Shanghai’s bumpy surface and unexpected curbing behavior, which compromised the ride height settings.
“We accept the FIA’s decision. The track characteristics and aggressive curbing created unexpected levels of wear that caught us by surprise.”
— Ferrari Team Statement, March 2025
The disqualification is a major blow to Lewis Hamilton’s first season with Ferrari, following his dramatic move from Mercedes in late 2024. The seven-time World Champion was finally showing signs of rhythm in the SF-25, only to lose a strong result due to technical non-compliance.
Hamilton, who had been optimistic about Ferrari’s 2025 title chances, now finds himself in an uphill battle after just a few races in red.
“This one hurts. We had a good car, a good weekend. But the rules are the rules.”
— Lewis Hamilton to ESPN F1
Introduced in 1994, the plank—made of composite material or titanium—sits under the car and is designed to regulate minimum ride height. Excessive wear indicates a car is running too low, risking both safety and unfair aerodynamic advantages.
In Shanghai, a combination of aggressive curbing and Ferrari’s setup appears to have pushed both cars over the legal limit.
Ferrari had been building momentum, with both Leclerc and Hamilton pushing for podiums. This double disqualification means zero points from a weekend that could’ve seen a strong result—especially damaging given how close the Constructors' Championship is projected to be.
Meanwhile, teams like McLaren and Aston Martin capitalized on the revised standings, gaining unexpected points as Ferrari's results were wiped.
“It’s not just a technical issue—it’s a championship-altering moment. Ferrari can’t afford many more weekends like this.”
— RacingNews365 Analyst
With Hamilton’s high-profile arrival and Leclerc’s continued push for his first title, expectations at Ferrari are sky-high in 2025. But incidents like this show that execution and attention to detail will determine whether the Scuderia can truly compete with Red Bull over a full season.
The spotlight now intensifies—not just on the drivers, but on the engineers, strategists, and leadership in Maranello.
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