In a stunning turn of events at the Shanghai International Circuit, Ferrari drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, along with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, have been disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix following post-race technical inspections. The ruling wipes out a combined 18 points for Ferrari and marks a disastrous end to what had been a promising weekend for the Scuderia, while Alpine’s struggles in the 2025 season continue unabated.
The disqualifications stem from separate breaches of the FIA’s technical regulations, uncovered during routine scrutineering after the race. Hamilton, who finished sixth, was excluded due to excessive wear on his car’s rearmost skid block, which measured below the mandated 9mm thickness outlined in Article 3.5.9 e) of the technical rules. Measurements taken at three points on the skid—8.6mm on the left-hand side, 8.6mm at the centerline, and 8.5mm on the right-hand side—confirmed the infringement. This is not the first time Hamilton has faced such a penalty; he was similarly disqualified from the 2023 United States Grand Prix for excessive skid wear while still with Mercedes.
Meanwhile, Leclerc, who crossed the line in fifth despite early front wing damage from contact with Hamilton on lap one, and Gasly, who finished 11th, were both disqualified for their cars being underweight. According to FIA Technical Delegate Jo Bauer, Leclerc’s Ferrari and Gasly’s Alpine each weighed in at 799kg after fuel was drained—1kg below the minimum 800kg limit set by Article 4.1 of the regulations. In Leclerc’s case, the car initially met the 800kg threshold, but the replacement of his damaged front wing with a spare (weighing 200 grams more) and subsequent fuel drainage revealed the shortfall. Gasly’s car, after having 1.1kg of fuel removed, similarly fell short of the mark.
The stewards’ decisions were swift and unanimous. Ferrari and Alpine representatives acknowledged the accuracy of the FIA’s measurements and admitted to “genuine errors” with no mitigating circumstances. As a result, all three drivers were stripped of their finishing positions, reshaping the race standings. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri took the victory, leading teammate Lando Norris to a 1-2 finish, with Mercedes’ George Russell rounding out the podium. The disqualifications promoted Haas’ Esteban Ocon to fifth, Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli to sixth, Williams’ Alex Albon to seventh, Haas’ Oliver Bearman to eighth, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll to ninth, and Williams’ Carlos Sainz to tenth.
For Ferrari, the double disqualification is a bitter pill to swallow after a weekend that began with promise. Hamilton had secured a sprint race victory on Saturday—his first win with Ferrari since joining the team from Mercedes—raising hopes of a strong showing in the main event. However, the team’s race pace faltered, compounded by the lap-one incident between its drivers. Leclerc, reflecting on the clash before the disqualifications were announced, called it a “racing incident” with no ill intent, though he lamented the significant performance loss from his damaged front wing.
Hamilton, speaking prior to the ruling, expressed frustration with the team’s strategy and setup changes after the sprint, which he felt compromised his race performance. “We had a decent car in the sprint, but we made it quite a bit worse going into qualifying and the race,” he said. The disqualification only deepened the disappointment of his second Grand Prix outing with Ferrari.
Alpine, meanwhile, remains pointless in 2025 after two races, with Gasly’s exclusion ensuring the team missed out on a potential points-scoring opportunity had the Ferraris’ disqualifications been their only setback. The French squad’s early-season woes highlight ongoing challenges in adapting to the new regulations.