Three F1 drivers disqualified from F1 2025 Chinese Grand Prix

Three F1 drivers have been disqualified from the race classification of the Chinese Grand Prix for being underweight or for plank wear, under the car. 

Feature image credit: Scuderia Ferrari

Three drivers who were classified at the most recent Chinese GP have now been disqualified, both Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc were disqualified for their car being under the minimum weight allowed. 

Leclerc’s teammate, Lewis Hamilton was also disqualified for the thickness of his car’s plank. 

Both the Alpine and Ferrari cars, of Gasly and Leclerc, weighed 799kg which was one kilogram less than the allowed 800kg minimum weight. The FIA Technical Delegate weighed both cars using the inside and outside scales which showed the same result (799kg).

This came after both cars were drained of fuel and Leclerc’s car had its front wing replaced. Calibration of both scales was confirmed and witnessed by the respective competitors. 

In the Steward’s document, after confirming the scale calibrations and weight of the respective cars, they said: 

Following post-Race technical checks, 3 cars have been disqualified from the #ChineseGP 🇨🇳 #FIA #F1 pic.twitter.com/C27QHwmJ29

— FIA (@fia) March 23, 2025

“During the hearing there was no challenge to the FIA’s measurements which are taken to be correct and that all required procedures were performed correctly.

“There are no mitigating circumstances and that the team confirmed that it was a genuine error by them.”

For Hamilton, the rear skid plank assembly was measured and found to be 8.6mm (left-hand side), 8.6mm (car centerline) and 8.5mm (right-hand side). 

This was reported to be below the minimum thickness allowed of 9mm under the technical regulations. As such, Hamilton was also disqualified. 

As a result, Alpine are unaffected as Gasly finished the race in 11th and out of the points. 

However, the double disqualification will be a blow to the Scuderia as both Leclerc and Hamilton finished in the points, in fifth and sixth respectively.

Read more Formula 1 here:

• Piastri heads McLaren 1-2 in a commanding F1 Chinese Grand Prix
• Oscar Piastri claims maiden pole position for Chinese GP
• Lewis Hamilton claims maiden sprint race win at Chinese GP
• Hamilton secures first pole for Ferrari ahead of Chinese GP Sprint
• Norris fastest in sole F1 practice of Chinese GP
• Former F1 team boss Eddie Jordan dies aged 76

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Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.