Ferrari Duo and Gasly Risk Chinese GP Disqualification Over Technical Breaches

Ferrari Duo and Gasly Risk Chinese GP Disqualification Over Technical Breaches

By Michael Harrison

March 24, 2025 at 01:00 AM

Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, and Pierre Gasly face potential disqualification from the Chinese Grand Prix following post-race scrutineering issues.

Two red Ferraris racing

Two red Ferraris racing

Leclerc's Ferrari, which finished fifth despite early front wing damage, failed to meet the minimum weight requirement of 800kg. After draining fuel, the car weighed 799.0kg - 1kg below the legal limit - even when fitted with a spare front wing that was 0.2kg heavier than the damaged one.

Similarly, Gasly's Alpine also registered at 799.0kg post-fuel removal, putting both drivers at risk of disqualification for technical regulation breaches.

Hamilton's Mercedes, while meeting weight requirements, showed illegal rear skid thickness measurements of 8.6mm and 8.5mm at various points, below the 9mm minimum requirement. This issue mirrors the one that led to both Hamilton and Leclerc's disqualification at the 2023 United States Grand Prix.

If all three drivers are disqualified, Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz would move into points-scoring positions from their original 12th and 13th place finishes. Esteban Ocon, Kimi Antonelli, Alex Albon, and Oliver Bearman would also gain positions in the final classification.

This situation recalls George Russell's disqualification from his Belgian Grand Prix victory last year, where excessive tire wear was suspected to have contributed to the weight issues. Both Gasly and Leclerc completed extended final stints, with 46 and 41 laps on hard tires respectively.

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