More DSQ’s on the way?

By Joe Murphy

What started as a promising weekend for Lewis Hamilton at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai quickly turned into a disaster after his disqualification from the race.

After securing his first win with Ferrari in Saturday’s sprint race and a surprising pole position the day before, Hamilton’s luck took a sharp dive during the main race on Sunday.

The trouble began on the opening lap when Hamilton collided with his Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, damaging the front wing of the Monegasque’s car. The seven-time world champion then struggled for pace and was given a two-stop strategy, hoping that fresh tyres would improve his performance. However, this approach failed to work, and Hamilton ended the race in sixth, behind Leclerc and far off the pace of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, who finished in first and second.

Things took a further turn for the worse when post-race inspections revealed that the plank on Hamilton’s Ferrari was below the minimum thickness required by FIA regulations. The rear skid thickness measured 8.6mm in two areas and 8.5mm in another — below the mandatory 9mm thickness, which led to an automatic disqualification.

An official statement from the FIA explained, “The plank assembly of Car 44 was measured and found to be 8.6mm (LHS), 8.6mm (centreline) and 8.5mm (RHS). This is below the minimum 9mm thickness specified under Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations.

“During the hearing, the team representative confirmed that the measurement was correct, and that all necessary procedures had been followed. The team also acknowledged that no mitigating factors were involved, and that it was a genuine mistake on their part.

“The Stewards determined that Article 3.5.9 of the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations had been breached, and as such, the standard penalty of disqualification must be enforced for such an infringement.”

The disqualification not only stripped Hamilton of the eight points he had earned for finishing in sixth but also added another setback for Ferrari, as Leclerc was disqualified after post-race checks showed his car was under the minimum required weight. Pierre Gasly’s Alpine was also found to be in violation.

This wasn’t the first time Hamilton faced disqualification for excessive plank wear; a similar incident occurred during the 2023 United States Grand Prix in Austin when he was racing for Mercedes, and Leclerc faced the same penalty for the same reason. This recurring issue needs to be addressed, as it is costing drivers like Hamilton crucial points.