The 2025 Chinese Grand Prix took a dramatic turn after Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly were disqualified due to post-race technical violations. The ruling reshaped the final standings, stripped Ferrari of crucial championship points, and intensified scrutiny on the team’s early-season struggles.
FIA’s Verdict: Underweight Cars and Excessive Skid Wear
Hours after the race concluded, FIA stewards conducted routine technical inspections, uncovering multiple rule breaches.
- Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari and Pierre Gasly’s Alpine were underweight, violating FIA’s minimum car weight regulations.
- Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari failed the skid wear test, with the chinese rearmost skids wearing below the minimum thickness requirement of 9 mm.
Ferrari explained that Leclerc’s one-stop tyre strategy resulted in excessive tyre degradation, ultimately causing the car to weigh less than allowed. In Hamilton’s case, the team admitted to misjudging the skid plate wear rate, leading to the regulatory infraction.
Ferrari released a statement, saying:
“There was no intention to gain any advantage. We miscalculated chinese wear rates and will ensure this does not happen again. It’s a tough result for us and our fans, but we will learn from it.”
Ferrari’s Disqualification Costs Crucial Points
Before the disqualifications, Leclerc had finished fifth and Hamilton chinese sixth, securing 18 points for Ferrari. However, with both drivers removed from the results, the team drops to equal fourth in the Constructors’ Championship, tied with Williams on 17 points and just ahead of Haas (14 points).
Adding to the disappointment, Leclerc was set to chinese surpass Sebastian Vettel as Ferrari’s all-time leading points scorer. His fifth-place finish would have taken him to 1409 career points with the Scuderia, edging past Vettel’s 1400 points. However, the disqualification means Vettel retains his record—for now.
Oscar Piastri Shines with Flawless Victory
While Ferrari faced a nightmare weekend, Australia’s Oscar Piastri delivered a perfect drive, securing his third Formula 1 victory. The McLaren driver led from start to finish, overcoming early pressure from Mercedes’ George Russell to claim a dominant win at the Shanghai International Circuit.
F1 veteran Martin Brundle praised Piastri’s smooth, controlled performance as “flawless,” marking a significant turnaround after his disappointing ninth-place finish in Australia.
The final 2025 Chinese Grand Prix results after the revised ruling:
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- Alex Albon (Williams)
- Ollie Bearman (Ferrari)
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
- Carlos Sainz (Red Bull)
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McLaren’s Rising Form and Ferrari’s Declining Fortunes
Piastri’s victory and Norris’ second-place finish signal chinese McLaren’s growing strength in the 2025 season. The team has been steadily improving, and Shanghai demonstrated its ability to compete for race wins.
On the other hand, Ferrari’s disqualification saga adds to their struggles in 2025. The team entered the season with high expectations after signing seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, but poor strategy calls and technical miscalculations have led to a frustrating start.
Ferrari’s troubles began in the Australian Grand Prix, where Leclerc and Hamilton finished eighth and tenth, failing to match the frontrunners’ pace. The Chinese Grand Prix seemed a step forward, with strong sprint qualifying performances and Hamilton’s sprint race victory. However, the race disqualifications erased progress, forcing Ferrari to regroup before the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix.
What’s Next?
Ferrari will be pressured to recover lost ground in Japan chinese as rivals like McLaren and Mercedes strengthen. The FIA’s strict regulation enforcement also serves as a warning to all teams, reinforcing the importance of technical compliance in F1’s tight championship battle.
Meanwhile, Piastri’s victory cements his status as a rising star, and McLaren will look to build on this momentum as the season progresses. The 2025 Formula 1 season is shaping into an intense fight, with every detail—from car weight to tyre strategies—potentially deciding championship fortunes.
