Lewis Hamilton’s promising start with Ferrari turned sour at the Chinese Grand Prix on March 23, 2025, as he was disqualified from sixth place due to excessive skid wear on his car’s rear skid block.

The FIA found the skid thickness below the mandated 9mm (measuring 8.5-8.6mm), breaching Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations. Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, who finished fifth, also faced disqualification after his car weighed in 1kg under the 800kg minimum limit, attributed to high tyre wear from a one-stop strategy.

Ferrari admitted both were “genuine errors” with no intent to gain an advantage, but the stewards enforced standard penalties, wiping out 18 points from the Scuderia’s tally. Hamilton, fresh off a Sprint race win on Saturday, struggled in the Grand Prix after early contact with Leclerc, resorting to a two-stop strategy that couldn’t salvage pace.

Leclerc’s damaged front wing was replaced before weighing, yet the car still fell short.

The double blow dropped Ferrari to fifth in the Constructors’ Championship, 61 points behind leaders McLaren. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly was also disqualified from 11th for an underweight car, reshaping the standings. Esteban Ocon (Haas) rose to fifth, while Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) and Carlos Sainz (Williams) snagged points.

Hamilton sits ninth in the Drivers’ Championship with nine points, Leclerc 10th with eight, highlighting a disastrous weekend for Ferrari.