What was shaping up to be a redemption weekend for Lewis Hamilton has ended in disaster, as the Ferrari driver has been disqualified from the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix due to excessive skid wear on his car.
After a tough Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton bounced back in style by winning the Sprint Race and looking set for a strong points haul on Sunday—but now, all of it has been wiped away.
A weekend that started with promise for Hamilton
Coming into Shanghai, Hamilton had a point to prove. The Australian Grand Prix had been a nightmare—poor qualifying, race struggles, and a result that left him on the back foot in the championship fight. However, the seven-time champion responded the way he always has: by fighting back.
Hamilton stormed to victory in the Sprint Race, showing incredible pace and reminding the paddock that he was still a force to be reckoned with. His Grand Prix performance was solid as well, with Ferrari looking competitive and poised to take home a crucial batch of points.
But post-race scrutineering would bring everything crashing down.
The FIA’s ruling—skid wear too low
Following the race, FIA officials inspected Hamilton’s Ferrari. They found that the rearward skid plate was below the legal minimum thickness of 9 mm, as mandated by Article 3.5.9 e of the FIA Technical Regulations. The recorded measurements were:
- Left-Hand Side (LHS): 8.6 mm
- Car Centerline: 8.6 mm
- Right-Hand Side (RHS): 8.5 mm
With these numbers falling short of the regulations, the FIA had no choice but to disqualify Hamilton from the race.
A devastating setback for Ferrari
This ruling completely erases all the progress Hamilton made over the weekend. His Sprint victory now counts for little. With Ferrari losing his points from the main event, the team’s championship fight has taken a massive hit.
Hamilton had looked ready to reignite his title challenge after his struggles in Melbourne, but now, he faces another major setback—one that could have serious implications for his championship ambitions.
For Ferrari, this disqualification, combined with Leclerc’s disqualification because of weight infringement, leaves them scrambling to recover. What was meant to be a weekend of redemption has turned into a nightmare.
