Latest news with #TechnicalRegulations
Forbes
24-03-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Why Ferrari's Chinese GP Blunder Is A Big Worry For Lewis Hamilton
One day is a long time in Formula 1, just ask Lewis Hamilton. The second weekend of the season began triumphantly for the Briton, who won his first race for Ferrari as he took the chequered flag in the sprint race in Shanghai on Saturday before taking pole-position a day earlier. The seven-time world champion seized the moment to hit back at the 'yapping' critics, who had questioned his decision to join the Italian marque after he finished 10th on his debut with the Scuderia in Melbourne a week ago. 'People just love to be negative at any opportunity. Even with the smallest things, they'll just be negative about it,' Hamilton said. 'That's just the difficult time that we're living in.' The feel-good factor did not last. Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc finished sixth and fifth on Sunday respectively, before being disqualified for two technical infringements. Post-race checks revealed a regulatory breach on the skid blocks of Hamilton's Ferrari. Measurements at the rear of the planks recorded a 8.6mm thickness on two points and 8.5mm at another, falling below the minimum 9mm requirement and triggering an automatic disqualification. 'The plank assembly of Car 44 was measured and found to be 8.6mm (LHS), 8.6mm (car centerline) and 8.5mm (RHS)," a statement from the FIA, world motorsports' governing body, said. "This is below the minimum thickness of 9mm specified under Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations. 'During the hearing the team representative confirmed that the measurement is correct and that all required procedures were performed correctly. 'The team also acknowledged that there were no mitigating circumstances and that it was a genuine error by the team.' Leclerc, meanwhile, was disqualified along with Alpine's Pierre Gasly after their cars were both deemed underweight. Ferrari attributed the weight breach to the high tyre wear on the Monegasque's car, which was due to his one-stop strategy. 'We slightly underestimated the wear on the skid block on Hamilton's car,' the team said in a statement. 'There was no attempt to gain any unfair advantage. We will learn from today's events to ensure we don't repeat these mistakes.' The disqualifications leave Ferrari already playing catch up against its rivals. The Italian team is fifth in the constructors' standings with just 17 points, already 61 adrift of reigning world champion McLaren, with Mercedes second with 57 points ahead of Red Bull with 36. The Papaya completed a 1-2 finish in China with Oscar Piastri winning ahead of Lando Norris, while George Russell finished third and Max Verstappen in fourth. Esteban Ocon was promoted to fifth after the two Ferraris were disqualified, with Kimi Antonelli sixth for Mercedes, ahead of Alexander Albon in the first Williams and Ocon's Haas teammate Oliver Bearman. Lance Stroll in the Aston Martin and former Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz completed the top 10. Norris leads the drivers' standings with 44 points, eight clear of Verstappen, who has scored all of Red Bull's points so far, and nine ahead of Russell. With nine and eight points respectively, Hamilton and Leclerc are miles behind their direct rivals. Ferrari's admission is as honest as it is troubling, for these were two critical miscalculations in the car setup that were entirely avoidable. So slim are the margins in Formula 1 that everything is pushed to the limit to improve performances, but a double disqualification was a serious blunder on Ferrari's part. This was not just a lapse in judgment or a gamble, rather the second time in as many races the Scuderia exhibited a concerning lack of clarity. A week ago in Melbourne, Ferrari waited too long to pit Hamilton as heavy rain hit the track, which resulted in the 40-year-old dropping from first to tenth. On Sunday, Hamilton and Leclerc collided on the opening lap, with the Briton damaging the Monegasque's front wing in the process. As Hamilton struggled for pace, Ferrari switched him to a two-stop strategy, which failed to deliver. Ferrari's unhealthy reputation for muddling their decisions looked to have been eradicated last year in Fred Vasseur's first season as team principal, but the issue has reared its head again over the opening two races of 2025. Even more concerning, the Scuderia appears to have gone backward over the winter. Ferrari finished second in the constructors' standings last season, coming within 14 points of winning a first title since 2008. Hamilton's arrival was expected to make Ferrari one of the teams to beat, but rather than closing the gap to McLaren, the Italian marque has fallen behind Mercedes and Red Bull. Vasseur attributed the lack of pace in Melbourne to the rainy conditions and his confidence seemed justified as Hamilton won the sprint on Saturday. But Ferrari struggled in qualifying and never had the pace to trouble the leaders on Sunday. A slow start last year was rectified by a drastic improvement in performances in the second half of the season, but the Maranello team cannot afford to give its rivals another head start. Or else, Hamilton may join his critics in questioning his decision to sign for Ferrari.
Forbes
23-03-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
The F1 Car Weight Rule That Cost Leclerc And Gasly 2025 Chinese GP Results
SHANGHAI, CHINA - MARCH 23: Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 on ... More track during the F1 Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit on March 23, 2025 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by) Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly have both faced disqualification from the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix after their Ferrari and Alpine cars were found to be underweight during post-race checks. Leclerc crossed the finish line in fifth place, while Gasly missed out on scoring Alpine's first point of the season, ending up in 11th behind Oliver Bearman of Haas. Following the race, both drivers were summoned by the stewards for alleged breaches of Article 4.1 of the Technical Regulations. According to the FIA report, Leclerc's Ferrari weighed exactly 800 kg after returning to the pits — the minimum weight mandated by the regulations excluding fuel. However, as his car's front wing sustained damage in an early contact with teammate Lewis Hamilton, the SF-25 car was re-weighed with the retrieved endplate and a spare front wing, bringing the total weight to 800.5 kg. When two liters of fuel were later drained from the car, the weight dropped to 799 kg, just below the minimum. 'After the race, car number 16 was weighed and its weight was 800.0kg, which is the minimum weight required by TR Article 4.1.,' said FIA technical delegate Jo Bauer. 'As the front wing was damaged (the missing FW endplate was recovered and weighed with the car), the car was re-weighed with an official spare front wing assembly of car 16 and its weight was 800.5kg. After this, fuel was drained out of the car and 2.0 litres of fuel were removed. 'The car was weighed again on the FIA scales (with the official spare front wing assembly of car 16) and the weight was 799.0kg. The calibration of the scales was confirmed and witnessed by the competitor. For information the spare front wing was 0.2kg heavier than the damaged one used during the race. As this is 1.0kg below the minimum weight requested in TR Article 4.1, which also has to be respected at all times during the competition, I am referring this matter to the stewards for their consideration.' Similarly, Gasly's car also registered at 800 kg during its first weight check. After removing 1.1 kg of fuel according to Alpine's draining procedure, his car was left at 799 kg. Therefore, the stewards decided to disqualify both drivers, stripping them of their race results. In Shanghai, China, on March 21, 2025, Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Scuderia Ferrari and ... More Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Scuderia Ferrari walk in the paddock during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of China at Shanghai International Circuit. (Photo by QIan Jun/Paddocker/NurPhoto via Getty Images) To add to Ferrari's woes, Hamilton was also disqualified from sixth as the rear skid block on his car failed to meet the minimum thickness requirement – a bitter pill to swallow for the Brit who had secured his first victory for the team in the sprint earlier in the weekend. The Scuderia's double disqualification means that Esteban Ocon, Kimi Antonelli, Alex Albon, and Oliver Bearman were promoted by two positions, while Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz also benefited by moving into the top ten thanks to Gasly's disqualification from 11th. The minimum weight of a Formula 1 car has changed significantly over the years, having increased from 585 kg in 2008 to 798 kg in 2022 – including a minimum driver weight of 80 kg and excluding fuel. This weight limit remained the same for the 2023 and 2024 seasons, but for the 2025 season, it has risen to 800 kg (including driver, excluding fuel), allowing drivers to weigh up to 82 kg, which accounts for their body weight along with gear like helmets and race suits. Article 4.1 of the Technical Regulations reads, 'The mass of the car, without fuel, must not be less than 800kg plus the Heat Hazard Mass Increase (defined in Article 4.7), at any time during the Competition.' While there is no maximum weight limit, teams try to be as close to the minimum as possible to optimize performance. If a car is found to be below 800 kg, teams can add ballast to meet the required weight. Similarly, if a driver weighs under the minimum weight, ballast can also be used to compensate. Failure to comply with the minimum weight rule can lead to disqualification, just as it did for Leclerc and Gasly in China. A similar incident also occurred during the 2024 Belgian Grand Prix when George Russell's Mercedes was found to be underweight, costing him a race win and promoting Hamilton to victory. In 2026, the sport is set to undergo significant regulatory changes aimed at improving the quality of racing and increasing overtaking opportunities. The new regulations will require cars to be narrower, shorter, and lighter than in recent seasons, with the minimum F1 car weight dropping by 30 kg to a total of 768 kg. This will consist of 722 kg for the car and driver, plus an estimated 46 kg for the tires.
The Independent
23-03-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Lewis Hamilton's rocky start continues as Ferrari suffer double disqualification
Lewis Hamilton's second appearance for Ferrari ended with a shock disqualification after he was adjudged to have driven an illegal car in Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix. Hamilton crossed the line in sixth place – scoring eight points. But three hours after the chequered flag fell in Shanghai, he was expelled from the result after a skid block underneath his Ferrari was found in breach of the regulations by half a millimetre. On a nightmare day for Ferrari, Charles Leclerc, who finished one place ahead of Hamilton, was also removed from the classification with his machine one kilogram underweight. Alpine's Pierre Gasly, who crossed the line in 11th place, was the third driver disqualified for a similar infringement. Hamilton, who endured a troubled afternoon in China as he struggled for speed, was summoned to see the stewards at 7:15pm local time. The FIA's verdict arrived just eight minutes later with Ferrari admitting a 'genuine error'. A statement from the FIA read: 'The plank assembly of Car 44 (Lewis Hamilton) was measured and found to be 8.6mm (left-hand-side), 8.6mm (car centreline) and 8.5mm (RHS). This is below the minimum thickness of 9mm specified under Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations. 'During the hearing the team representative confirmed that the measurement is correct and that all required procedures were performed correctly. 'The team also acknowledged that there were no mitigating circumstances and that it was a genuine error by the team.' The skid blocks in the wooden floor have a minimum thickness to ensure a driver cannot gain advantage by their machine running lower to the ground than is allowed. It marked the second disqualification for Hamilton in 18 months after he was stripped of second place at the US Grand Prix in 2023 for a similar infringement while driving for Mercedes. Oscar Piastri led home Lando Norris as McLaren sealed a one-two, with Hamilton's former Mercedes team-mate George Russell completing the podium. World champion Max Verstappen finished fourth. But Ferrari's double disqualification promotes Esteban Ocon up to fifth for Haas, with Hamilton's Mercedes replacement Kimi Antonelli sixth. Alex Albon took seventh for Williams, one place ahead of British teenage rookie Ollie Bearman. Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz took the remaining points as Gasly too missed out. Hamilton headed into Sunday's 56-lap race fuelled with confidence after he converted his sprint pole into victory to land his first triumph in Ferrari colours 24 hours previously. Hamilton used the win to hit back at his 'yapping' critics six days after he opened his Ferrari campaign with a 10th-placed finish in Melbourne. However, despite a strong start in Sunday's race – as he moved up one place from his grid slot of fifth with a fine move on Verstappen at the opening corner – Hamilton was out of sorts. He told Ferrari to allow Leclerc to pass him before he was embroiled in several testy exchanges with race engineer, Riccardo Adami, as they attempted to manufacture the move. 'We are swapping cars on Turn 14,' Hamilton was told. The seven-time world champion snapped back: 'I will tell you when we can swap.' Hamilton then took the chequered flag a distant 25 seconds behind Piastri – after attempting a two-stop strategy – before he was slung out of the result. 'I was just struggling with pace so I just wanted to try something but it didn't work,' said Hamilton. A Ferrari statement read: 'With regards to Lewis' skid wear, we misjudged the consumption by a small margin. 'There was no intention to gain any advantage. We will learn from what happened today and make sure we don't make the same mistakes again.'
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lewis Hamilton's rocky start continues as Ferrari suffer double disqualification
Lewis Hamilton's second appearance for Ferrari ended with a shock disqualification after he was adjudged to have driven an illegal car in Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix. Hamilton crossed the line in sixth place – scoring eight points. But three hours after the chequered flag fell in Shanghai, he was expelled from the result after a skid block underneath his Ferrari was found in breach of the regulations by half a millimetre. On a nightmare day for Ferrari, Charles Leclerc, who finished one place ahead of Hamilton, was also removed from the classification with his machine one kilogram underweight. Alpine's Pierre Gasly, who crossed the line in 11th place, was the third driver disqualified for a similar infringement. BREAKING: Pierre Gasly, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have been disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix Gasly and Leclerc's cars were found to be underweight, while Hamilton's car was deemed to have excessive skid wear#F1 #ChineseGP — Formula 1 (@F1) March 23, 2025 Hamilton, who endured a troubled afternoon in China as he struggled for speed, was summoned to see the stewards at 7:15pm local time. The FIA's verdict arrived just eight minutes later with Ferrari admitting a 'genuine error'. A statement from the FIA read: 'The plank assembly of Car 44 (Lewis Hamilton) was measured and found to be 8.6mm (left-hand-side), 8.6mm (car centreline) and 8.5mm (RHS). This is below the minimum thickness of 9mm specified under Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations. 'During the hearing the team representative confirmed that the measurement is correct and that all required procedures were performed correctly. 'The team also acknowledged that there were no mitigating circumstances and that it was a genuine error by the team.' The skid blocks in the wooden floor have a minimum thickness to ensure a driver cannot gain advantage by their machine running lower to the ground than is allowed. It marked the second disqualification for Hamilton in 18 months after he was stripped of second place at the US Grand Prix in 2023 for a similar infringement while driving for Mercedes. Oscar Piastri led home Lando Norris as McLaren sealed a one-two, with Hamilton's former Mercedes team-mate George Russell completing the podium. World champion Max Verstappen finished fourth. But Ferrari's double disqualification promotes Esteban Ocon up to fifth for Haas, with Hamilton's Mercedes replacement Kimi Antonelli sixth. Alex Albon took seventh for Williams, one place ahead of British teenage rookie Ollie Bearman. Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz took the remaining points as Gasly too missed out. Hamilton headed into Sunday's 56-lap race fuelled with confidence after he converted his sprint pole into victory to land his first triumph in Ferrari colours 24 hours previously. Hamilton used the win to hit back at his 'yapping' critics six days after he opened his Ferrari campaign with a 10th-placed finish in Melbourne. However, despite a strong start in Sunday's race – as he moved up one place from his grid slot of fifth with a fine move on Verstappen at the opening corner – Hamilton was out of sorts. A struggling Hamilton opts to let team mate Leclerc through #F1 #ChineseGP — Formula 1 (@F1) March 23, 2025 He told Ferrari to allow Leclerc to pass him before he was embroiled in several testy exchanges with race engineer, Riccardo Adami, as they attempted to manufacture the move. 'We are swapping cars on Turn 14,' Hamilton was told. The seven-time world champion snapped back: 'I will tell you when we can swap.' Hamilton then took the chequered flag a distant 25 seconds behind Piastri – after attempting a two-stop strategy – before he was slung out of the result. 'I was just struggling with pace so I just wanted to try something but it didn't work,' said Hamilton. A Ferrari statement read: 'With regards to Lewis' skid wear, we misjudged the consumption by a small margin. 'There was no intention to gain any advantage. We will learn from what happened today and make sure we don't make the same mistakes again.'
The Independent
23-03-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Why was Lewis Hamilton disqualified from Chinese Grand Prix?
Lewis Hamilton 's rollercoaster start to life at Ferrari continued as he was dramatically disqualified after the conclusion of the Chinese Grand Prix. After the highs of Saturday's victory in the sprint race, having shockingly qualified on pole the previous day, Hamilton's weekend took a downward turn come Sunday's full race. Having made contact with Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc on the opening lap, causing damage to the Monegasque's front wing, the Brit struggled for pace round the Shanghai racetrack – resorting to a two-stop strategy in the desperate hope that fresh tyres would help him find some extra speed. That turned out to be a forlorn hope however, as he eventually crossed the line in sixth, one spot behind Leclerc and well off the pace of dominant McLaren pair Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris up front, who sealed a one-two. Things then got worse for the seven-time world champion as he was disqualified after the race, seeing the eight points wiped from his championship tally. It was an incredibly busy post-race period for the stewards and F1 officials as Leclerc and Alpine 's Pierre Gasly were also disqualified alongside Hamilton. Why was Lewis Hamilton disqualified? Hamilton's Ferrari failed its post-race checks, with the car's skid block found to be below the minimum thickness. According to FIA rules, that warrants a disqualification. Scrutiny of his tyres showed that the rearmost skid thickness was below the minimum limit of 9mm, registering 8.6mm at two points and 8.5mm at another. A document released explaining the decision read: 'The plank assembly of Car 44 was measured and found to be 8.6mm (LHS), 8.6mm (car centerline) and 8.5mm (RHS). This is below the minimum thickness of 9mm specified under Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations. 'During the hearing the team representative confirmed that the measurement is correct and that all required procedures were performed correctly. The team also acknowledged that there were no mitigating circumstances and that it was a genuine error by the team. 'The Stewards determine that Article 3.5.9 of the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations has been breached and therefore the standard penalty of a disqualification needs to be applied for such an infringement.' This is not the first time Hamilton has been disqualified for a race because of this issue, with something similar occurring at the 2023 United States Grand Prix when he drove for Mercedes – a race where, ironically, Leclerc was also DQed for the same problem. Ferrari released a statement confirming that they agreed with the decision and took the blame for the mistake. They said: 'During the hearing the team representative confirmed that the measurement is correct and that all required procedures were performed correctly. The team also acknowledged that there were no mitigating circumstances and that it was a genuine error by the team.' Why were Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly disqualified? Hamilton's Ferrari teammate Leclerc and Gasly of Alpine, who finished 11th, were also disqualified in the aftermath of the Chinese GP for the more straightforward reason that their cars were found to be underweight. While Leclerc's damaged front wing may indeed have made his car lighter, teams are allowed to replace obviously damaged parts, so after weighing the Ferrari with the missing endplate, it was also weighed with a spare front wing fitted. However, once fuel was drained from the Ferrari, it was found to be underweight on both occasions. Once the fuel was drained, the FIA scales showed the weight to be 799.0kg, which is 1.0kg below the minimum car weight stated in the F1 rules. Gasly's Alpine underwent the same process and was also weighted at 799.0kg and thus below the limit, meaning both cars were DQed for breaching technical regulations. Both Ferrari and Alpine accepted the disqualifications. This is not the first time a car has been disqualified for being underweight, with George Russell suffering a DQ after last year's Belgian Grand Prix, which cost him the win. At the time, Mercedes speculated that excessive tyre wear was the cause. How have the disqualifications changed the standings? With Hamilton, Leclerc and Gasly all excluded from the race, Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz were promoted into the points from 12th and 13th respectively. Meanwhile the drivers that finished from seventh to 10th, in the points but behind the Ferrari pair, all moved up two places. They were Esteban Ocon, Kimi Antonelli, Alex Albon and Oliver Bearman. Hamilton and Leclerc's points for their sixth and fifth place finish – eight and 10 respectively – are wiped from their championship tally, although the DQ does not impact Hamilton's sprint race victory on Saturday, for which he secured eight points. It means the Ferrari duo are now ninth and 10th in the nascent F1 Drivers' Championship standings. F1 driver standings top 10 after Chinese Grand Prix 1. Lando Norris – 44 points 2. Max Verstappen – 36 points 3. George Russell – 35 points 4. Oscar Piastri – 34 points 5. Kimi Antonelli – 22 points 6. Alex Albon – 16 points 7. Esteban Ocon – 10 points 8. Lance Stroll – 10 points 9. Lewis Hamilton – 9 points 10. Charles Leclerc – 8 points
