The Shanghai International Circuit delivered a rollercoaster weekend for Ferrari, but Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix ended in disaster. Lewis Hamilton, fresh off a Sprint win on Saturday, March 23, and teammate Charles Leclerc were both stripped of their race results after technical violations rocked the Italian squad. The seven-time world champion’s sixth-place finish and Leclerc’s fifth were erased, plunging Ferrari into a rare double disqualification.

The drama unfolded post-race when scrutineers pored over Hamilton’s Ferrari. A Technical Delegate’s report revealed the rear skid block on his car measured a mere 8.5mm to 8.6mm—below the mandated 9mm thickness outlined in Article 3.5.9 of the FIA Technical Regulations. Hamilton, who’d tangled with Leclerc on Lap 1 and struggled to match the leaders’ pace, faced the stewards alongside a Ferrari representative. The verdict was swift: disqualification. “It was a genuine error,” the team conceded, admitting no excuses as the measurements stood uncontested.

Leclerc’s fate followed a similar script. His SF-25 tipped the scales 1kg under the minimum weight, another breach flagged by the technical team. Summoned to the stewards, the Monegasque driver watched his hard-fought P5 vanish. Ferrari’s day unraveled completely, a stark contrast to Hamilton’s Sprint triumph just 24 hours earlier.

The fallout reshaped the standings. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, also disqualified for a weight violation, joined the casualty list, leaving the Enstone team pointless in 2025. Meanwhile, Esteban Ocon, Kimi Antonelli, Alex Albon, and Ollie Bearman climbed two spots each into P5 through P8. Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz scooped the final points in P9 and P10, capitalising on the chaos.

In contrast to Ferrari’s fiasco, McLaren enjoyed a 1-2 finish, with Oscar Piastri crossing the line first and teammate Lando Norris in tow. Meanwhile, Mercedes’ George Russell completed the podium in third place, while Max Verstappen managed a fourth place finish for Red Bull.

For Hamilton, the sting was personal. “Shanghai’s always been a tough track for me,” he said after the race, unaware of the looming penalty. “That Lap 1 clash with Charles threw us off, but I thought we’d salvaged something.” Leclerc, a Monaco native, echoed the frustration: “We pushed hard, but it’s all for nothing now.”

Ferrari’s double blow hands rivals a golden opportunity as the season heats up, leaving the Scuderia to regroup before the next battle at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, April 6.