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The Independent
23-03-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Lewis Hamilton's shock disqualification tells us one thing: Ferrari have hit rock bottom
Twenty-four hours is a long time in Formula One. Just on Saturday, Lewis Hamilton was riding high, optimism radiating, after his first taste of victory in the famous Ferrari red, albeit in the shorter sprint format. By Sunday night, long after dusk fell in Shanghai, the Briton and his beleaguered team had hit rock bottom. Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc 's disqualification from the Chinese Grand Prix represents a new nadir for Ferrari, just two races into the 2025 F1 season. Beyond any strategy errors or clashes on track – of which there were both on Sunday – failing to produce a legal car for the customary post-race checks is an embarrassing own-goal. Make that two own-goals. Perhaps the only saving grace is that it did not cost them more than 18 points, given Hamilton and Leclerc finished only sixth and fifth respectively. Hamilton's car was found to fail a technical check due to the skid wear of the thickness of the plank underneath the car, beyond the permitted nine millimetres. Hamilton's measured at 8.6mm on the left-hand side and centre-line, and 8.5mm on the right-hand side. That's all it was: 0.5mm. The length of a credit card. But once the FIA's chief scrutineer Jo Bauer sent it to the stewards, it was a slam-dunk DSQ. Yet while Ferrari acknowledged in a statement they will 'make sure we don't make the same mistakes again', the sad reality is that they've been here before. In 2023, Leclerc was disqualified from the United States GP for the exact same reason: plank wear. Ironically, Hamilton was also excluded for the same reason at the same race, though of course then he was racing for Mercedes. There are legitimate reasons for this error, as cataclysmic as the consequences are. China was the first sprint weekend of the season, meaning the teams had less time to trial different setups with the car. Hamilton admitted post-race on Sunday – prior to news of his DSQ – that the team had tried something different with his car ahead of Saturday's qualifying session. An odd direction to take, one may think, given his sprint race win a matter of hours earlier. 'Ultimately we had a pretty decent car in the sprint, we made some changes and made it worse,' Hamilton said, prior to his sixth-place finish being wiped out. 'We made it quite a bit worse, I hadn't tested it, we [him and Leclerc] both went that way and it was bad. I know not to do that again.' Ultimately, the lower the ride height of the car, the quicker it goes. But for safety reasons, there has to be a limit to the car's depth. With unclear forecasts in terms of track evolvement and tyre development, Ferrari essentially toed the line in search of optimum performance – and crept marginally over that line. TOP-10 - CHINESE GRAND PRIX As for Leclerc, his car was found to be 1kg under the permitted weight of 900kg. Again fine margins, inevitably not helped by the surprise of this 56-lap grand prix being a one-stop race. Alpine's Pierre Gasly also came a cropper, costing him and his team their first points of the season. It was the first time three drivers had been disqualified from a Formula 1 grand prix since 2004. But 16 other drivers (with Fernando Alonso earlier retiring) finished the race legally. It is calamitous that a team of Ferrari's stature, pedigree and experience (they are the only team to be present in every F1 season since 1950) could make these errors. As welcoming as his laid-back, amusing demeanour is, team principal Fred Vasseur has serious work to do to eradicate such blunders ahead of the next race in Japan in two weeks. Beyond Hamilton's frosty exchanges with new race engineer Riccardo Adami last week in Australia – of which there were more clashes of styles on Sunday, as Hamilton communicated his wish to allow Leclerc to pass him – the seven-time world champion will quickly lose faith if the team cannot do the basics correctly. And the ramifications on the leaderboard? Just two races in, they are already severe. Ferrari trail leaders McLaren - who secured a peerless one-two finish with Oscar Piastri taking the win from Lando Norris - by 61 points, with the wiping of Hamilton and Leclerc's 18 points. The Brit is languishing in ninth place in the drivers' standings, behind the likes of Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll and his Mercedes replacement Kimi Antonelli. Dreams of an eighth world title this year already look far-fetched, despite 22 race weekends to come. It's a numbers game. And ignoring the minimal points on offer in the sprint race, Hamilton's start for Ferrari reads as follows: a 10th-place finish in Australia and a DSQ in China. Already, he trails championship leader Norris by 35 points. Hamilton won't be overly downbeat; it's not his nature, nor is it beneficial. And the sprint gave a glimpse of the performance potential this year. But overall, the joyous aroma of his Scuderia start has quickly evaporated. It has, largely, been a fortnight to forget.
The Independent
23-03-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Oscar Piastri wins Chinese Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton struggles for Ferrari
Oscar Piastri beat Lando Norris to win the Chinese Grand Prix as a struggling Lewis Hamilton moved aside for Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc. Piastri led virtually every lap at the Shanghai International Circuit, with Norris following his team-mate home as McLaren underlined their impressive speed by executing a one-two finish. Mercedes' George Russell was third ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who passed Leclerc with three laps remaining. Hamilton crossed the line a distant sixth. Piastri was on course to finish runner-up at the season-opening round in his home country of Australia a week ago before he slid off, finishing ninth as team-mate Norris took the win. But in China, Piastri landed his first pole position and kept his rivals at bay into the opening bend. Norris made up one place from third at the start when he sailed round the outside of Russell at the first corner, with Verstappen falling back two places as Hamilton launched his Ferrari underneath the Red Bull driver. Leclerc followed him through but was slightly out of control and his front wing made contact with Hamilton's right rear tyre. Both were able to continue, albeit with damage to Leclerc's front wing which was left skimming the tarmac. With Piastri's lead over Norris reaching two seconds by the end of lap 10, Hamilton had Leclerc all over his gearbox. "Aren't we losing a bit of time?" Leclerc asked on lap 13 in an apparent attempt to press the Ferrari team to swap positions. Norris lost a place to Russell at the opening pit stops but needed just over two laps to regain second place when he fired his McLaren ahead of his fellow Briton into the first corner. A change of tyres had not improved Hamilton's fortunes, and he told Ferrari he would let Leclerc by because he was "struggling" for pace. TOP-10 - CHINESE GRAND PRIX Hamilton's race engineer, Riccardo Adami, came on the radio. "We are swapping cars on Turn 14," Hamilton was told. After several testy exchanges, the seven-time world champion said: "I will tell you when we can swap." The move came at the start of lap 21, Leclerc quickly pulling out a two-second lead over Hamilton. "This is a shame (because) the pace is there," said Leclerc in apparent annoyance that the order to trade places had not arrived earlier. Hamilton opened his winning account for Ferrari in Saturday's sprint but was growing frustrated in the main event, changing tyres again on lap 38 as the majority of the field completed a one-stop strategy. Up front Piastri remained in complete control, with Norris' second place suddenly under threat due to a brake problem. However, the British driver managed to nurse his McLaren home, albeit 9.7 seconds behind Piastri. Russell took the chequered flag just 1.3 sec further back, with Verstappen fourth after he fought his way ahead of Leclerc on lap 53 of 56. "It has been an incredible weekend from start to finish," said Piastri, who extends his advantage in the championship over Verstappen from two points to eight. "The car is mega. I am just proud of the team and the weekend that I have been able to pull off. I feel like I deserved this from last week." Norris said: "Turn one went to plan and then George got me at the pit stops. I was nervous but our pace was better in the second stint. I tried to get close to Oscar but I couldn't. He deserves the win. I am happy with second." Reflecting on his late brake problem, Norris continued: "It was scary. It is like my worst nightmare. I was losing time in the last laps, two, three, four seconds, but we survived and made it to the end."
The Independent
20-03-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
F1 Chinese GP LIVE: Sprint qualifying start time and updates as Lando Norris eyeing pole
The second race of the 2025 F1 season takes place in Shanghai with the Chinese Grand Prix - and the first sprint weekend of the new campaign. Lando Norris won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix for McLaren after surviving a slide off track in the rain and a late challenge from second-place Max Verstappen. George Russell was third for Mercedes. Norris' teammate and potential title rival Oscar Piastri span off the road and recovered to finish ninth after a late overtake on Lewis Hamilton, who was 10th in a frustrating debut for Ferrari. Verstappen took a commanding win in Shanghai last season ahead of Norris, but teams and drivers have little recent experience of a track which didn't host F1 from 2020-2023 during the Covid pandemic. Saturday's sprint race is the first of six this season. F1 CHINESE GRAND PRIX - LATEST UPDATES Round two of the 2025 F1 season takes place in China Sprint qualifying on Friday starts at 7:30am (GMT) TRIBUTE: Rock-and-roll Eddie Jordan gave Schumacher his debut – and his flamboyance captivated F1's paddock George Russell believes McLaren should win every race in 2025 Rock-and-roll Eddie Jordan gave Schumacher his debut – and his flamboyance captivated F1's paddock An old-school Irishman of quick wit and vibrancy, Eddie Jordan was a Formula One figure whose influence touched every corner of motorsport 's most-famed paddock throughout a career in the sport lasting over 30 years. From a promising race driver and savvy team owner to a captivating broadcaster and erudite manager, Jordan's sad passing at the age of 76 on Thursday, after a year-long battle with cancer, has sent shockwaves through a sport now in its pomp. Full tribute below: Rock-and-roll Eddie Jordan had an Irish flamboyance which captivated F1's paddock Tribute: Popular former F1 team owner Jordan has passed away at the age of 76 after a battle with cancer Kieran Jackson20 March 2025 20:45 What are the start times in China? All times GMT Friday 21 March Free practice 1: 3:30am Free practice 2: 7:30am Saturday 22 March Sprint race: 3am Qualifying: 7am Sunday 23 March Race: 7am Kieran Jackson20 March 2025 20:42 Chinese Grand Prix! Welcome to The Independent's live coverage of the Chinese Grand Prix and round two of the 2025 F1 season! Lando Norris won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix for McLaren after surviving a slide off track in the rain and a late challenge from second-place Max Verstappen. George Russell was third for Mercedes. Norris' teammate and potential title rival Oscar Piastri span off the road and recovered to finish ninth after a late overtake on Lewis Hamilton, who was 10th in a frustrating debut for Ferrari. But what will happen in Shanghai this weekend? It is also the first sprint weekend of the new campaign! Kieran Jackson20 March 2025 20:39
