The 2025 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix was thrown into chaos hours after the checkered flag, as post-race technical inspections led to the shocking disqualifications of Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, and Pierre Gasly for separate infringements.
Their disqualifications handed victory to Oscar Piastri, securing a McLaren one-two finish ahead of Lando Norris and George Russell.
The three disqualifications came after stewards conducted detailed post-race checks in Shanghai.
Hamilton’s Ferrari was found to have excessive plank wear, while Leclerc’s Ferrari and Gasly’s Alpine were both underweight after their remaining fuel was drained.
The ruling drastically altered the race results, promoting Max Verstappen to fourth and pushing a host of midfield runners into the points.
Stewards’ Verdict: No Mitigating Circumstances
Hamilton’s disqualification stemmed from excessive wear on the plank beneath his car, a key component that prevents teams from running dangerously low ride heights for aerodynamic advantage.
“The plank assembly of Car 44 was measured and found to be 8.6mm (LHS), 8.6mm (car centerline) and 8.5mm (RHS),” the stewards confirmed in their official statement.
“This is below the minimum thickness of 9mm specified under Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations.”
Ferrari accepted the ruling without protest, with the team representative confirming “all required procedures were performed correctly,” and that “there were no mitigating circumstances.”
Meanwhile, Leclerc’s and Gasly’s cars were disqualified for being one kilogram underweight after fuel removal, breaching the mandatory 800kg post-race weight limit.
Leclerc’s Ferrari had sustained damage from a first-lap collision with Hamilton, forcing a front wing replacement, but the new wing was weighed separately and did not contribute to the car’s underweight status.
With all three drivers removed from the results, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was officially crowned the race winner.
Piastri Secures Victory for McLaren
McLaren’s Piastri and Norris dominated the race, executing a near-flawless strategy to secure their team’s first 1-2 finish since 2021.
Piastri fended off an early challenge from Russell before a brilliant pit stop strategy saw McLaren solidify control of the race.
Despite Norris suffering from late-race brake issues, he held off Russell by just one second at the finish line.
Russell completed the podium in third, while Verstappen salvaged fourth place after struggling with early race balance issues.
Championship Standings Shake-Up
With two races completed, Norris takes the championship lead with Russell nine points behind, while Piastri and Verstappen are tied for third, just one point further back.
Ferrari’s disastrous night leaves them playing catch-up in the standings, with Leclerc and Hamilton now losing valuable points.
New Official Chinese GP Top 10 Results (After Disqualifications):
Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
Lando Norris (McLaren)
George Russell (Mercedes)
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Esteban Ocon (Haas)
Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
Alex Albon (Williams)
Oliver Bearman (Haas)
Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
Carlos Sainz (Williams)
Formula 1 now heads to the Miami Grand Prix, where Ferrari and Alpine will look to recover from their disqualifications while McLaren aims to solidify their early dominance.
