SHANGHAI – Ferrari`s Formula 1 season faces significant challenges after just two races. Despite aiming for the constructors` championship last year, they are already trailing McLaren by a substantial 61 points. Similarly, their drivers, Hamilton and Leclerc, are far behind Lando Norris in the drivers` standings.
The situation worsened at the Chinese Grand Prix, where both Ferrari cars were disqualified due to technical breaches. Leclerc`s car was underweight by 1 kilogram, while Hamilton`s car exhibited excessive wear on the plank, indicating it was running too low.
Ferrari admitted no intention to gain an advantage, stating the infringements offered minimal performance benefits. However, Formula 1`s precision demands strict adherence to regulations, leaving no room for errors.
Hamilton`s Disqualification: Plank Wear
The FIA uses a plank, a resin strip on the car`s underside, to monitor ride height and prevent risky setups. Lower car setups can improve performance but increase plank wear from track scraping. Regulations specify a minimum plank thickness of 9mm at measuring points; violations lead to disqualification.
Hamilton’s plank was found to be excessively worn at three points, by 0.4mm to 0.5mm. This infraction echoed the 2023 U.S. Grand Prix, where both Hamilton and Leclerc (then with Mercedes and Ferrari respectively) were similarly disqualified for plank wear.
While the bumpy Austin track contributed to the 2023 incident, Shanghai`s smooth surface eliminates this excuse. Rule changes now allow setup adjustments between sprint races and the main Grand Prix to prevent such issues.
Ferrari acknowledged a `misjudgment of plank consumption` and stewards confirmed the error was unintentional with no mitigating circumstances.
Leclerc`s Disqualification: Underweight Car
Formula 1 strictly regulates car weight. The minimum weight, including the driver but excluding fuel, is 800 kg. This limit is checked post-race. Leclerc`s Ferrari, along with Gasly`s Alpine, were suspiciously light at 800 kg. After fuel drainage, Leclerc`s car remained 1 kg below the limit, leading to disqualification.
Leclerc`s car sustained front wing damage in a first-lap collision with Hamilton. Even with a replacement wing for re-weighing, the car remained underweight. Both Leclerc and Gasly, who used a one-stop strategy anticipating a two-stop, experienced high tire wear, potentially contributing to the weight loss.
Tire wear was a factor, as one-stop strategies led to greater tire degradation and rubber loss. However, other drivers using a one-stop strategy, like Gasly`s teammate, did not have underweight cars.
A similar incident occurred at the 2023 Belgian Grand Prix, where George Russell`s Mercedes was stripped of victory for being underweight.
Ferrari lost 18 points due to the Shanghai disqualifications, a significant blow considering their current total of 17 points. This setback could be critical in their championship battle against McLaren.
Dominic Ashworth