Drama as Ferrari duo Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc DISQUALIFIED from Chinese GP

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were both disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday for technical infringements, along with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.

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Leclerc and Gasly were found by FIA stewards to have cars that weighed less than the 800kg minimum requirement while Hamilton was deemed to have excessive plank wear underneath his car.

Leclerc had finished fifth and Hamilton sixth.

Their points will be expunged with all the drivers below them now moving up two places.

Gasly finished 11th so was already out of the points.

It was a disastrous end to a weekend that had started so brilliantly for Ferrari when Hamilton took his maiden win for his new team in Saturday’s sprint.

The plank assembly is a skid plate which is designed to wear away when the floor strikes against bumps on the track or kerbs.

If it is too worn it can improve performance as cars can run closer to track, increasing “ground effect” down force.

“The plank assembly of Car 44 (Lewis Hamilton) was measured and found to be 8.6mm (LHS), 8.6mm (car centreline) and 8.5mm (RHS). This is below the minimum thickness of 9mm,” said the stewards’ ruling.

“The team also acknowledged that there were no mitigating circumstances and that it was a genuine error by the team.”

For Leclerc the ruling said: “Car 16 (Charles Leclerc) was weighed by the FIA Technical Delegate inside and outside scales with both scales showing the same result of 799kg after the customary draining of fuel and the replacement of a broken front wing.”

“The calibration of both scales was confirmed and witnessed by the competitor. During the hearing there was no challenge to the FIA’s measurements which are taken to be correct and that all required procedures were performed correctly.

“There are no mitigating circumstances and that the team confirmed that it was a genuine error by them.”

Hamilton, driving a Mercedes, was disqualified from the 2023 United States Grand Prix for a similar plank-wear problem.

Revised results from the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix at the Shanghai International Circuit on Sunday, the second leg of the 24-race 2025 season:

1. Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren) 56 laps in 1hr 30min 55.026sec, 2. Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren) at 9.748sec, 3. George Russell (GBR/Mercedes) at 11.097, 4. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) at 16.656, 5. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Haas) at 49.969, 6. Kimi Antonelli (ITA/Mercedes) at 53.748, 7. Alexander Albon (THA/Williams) at 56.321, 8. Oliver Bearman (GBR/Haas) at 1:01.303, 9. Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin) at 1:10.204, 10. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Williams) at 1:16.387, 11. Isack Hadjar (FRA/RB) at 1:18.875, 12. Liam Lawson (NZL/Red Bull) at 1:21.147, 13. Jack Doohan (AUS/Alpine) at 1:, 14. Gabriel Bortoleto (BRA/Sauber) at 1 lap, 15. Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Sauber) at 1 lap, 16. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/RB) at 1 lap

Retirement: Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin) brakes, 5th lap

Disqualified: Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine), Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Ferrari), Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari)

World Championship standings

Drivers

1. Lando Norris (GBR) 44 pts, 2. Max Verstappen (NED) 36, 3. George Russell (GBR) 35, 4. Oscar Piastri (AUS) 34, 5. Kimi Antonelli (ITA) 22, 6. Alexander Albon (THA) 16, 7. Esteban Ocon (FRA) 10, 8. Lance Stroll (CAN) 10, 9. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 9, 10. Charles Leclerc (MON) 8, 11. Nico Hulkenberg (GER) 6, 12. Oliver Bearman (GBR) 4, 13. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN) 3, 14. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP) 1

Constructors

1. McLaren 78 pts, 2. Mercedes 53, 3. Red Bull 36, 4. Williams 17, 5. Ferrari 17, 6. Haas 14, 7. Aston Martin 10, 8. Sauber 6, 9. RB 3

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By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse