Oscar Piastri celebrated a stunning victory at the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday, March 23, 2025, but the thrill of the win was somewhat overshadowed by significant disqualifications in the post-race checks. Piastri, driving for McLaren, led a one-two finish with his teammate Lando Norris taking second place. The victory marked McLaren's 50th one-two finish in their storied history, showcasing their resurgence in Formula 1.
However, the race ended in disappointment for Ferrari as both of their drivers, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, were disqualified after failing technical checks. Leclerc had initially finished the race in fifth place while Hamilton crossed the line in sixth. Both were found to have breached the regulations concerning their cars' weights. Leclerc's vehicle was discovered to be under the minimum weight of 800 kilograms by a margin of one kilogram, while Hamilton faced disqualification for excessive wear on his skid plank.
Following the race, stewards ruled that both Ferrari cars had been non-compliant during post-race scrutineering, leading to considerable changes in the classification. Leclerc's initial fifth position was unjustly lost and Hamilton’s sixth was removed from the books as well, delaying further celebration for Ferrari, who had secured a victory in Saturday's sprint race with Hamilton at the helm.
The post-race technical checks revealed that Leclerc’s car weighed only 799 kilograms after the standard two-liter fuel sample was drained. Hamilton's disqualification stemmed from excess wear on the rearward skid plank, which fell below the mandated minimum thickness of 9 millimeters. This unfortunate situation for Ferrari occurred despite their team stating that there were no mitigating circumstances, labeling the situation as a genuine error on their part.
As a result of these disqualifications, Haas' Esteban Ocon was elevated to fifth position, marking a substantial turnaround for the team from their disappointing previous race in Australia. Kimi Antonelli, driving for Mercedes, climbed to sixth, while Williams' Alex Albon secured seventh. Rookies Oliver Bearman of Haas and Carlos Sainz of Williams rounded out the points finishers at eighth and tenth respectively, with Aston Martin's Lance Stroll moving up to ninth.
Piastri maintained control throughout the 56-lap race at the Shanghai International Circuit, impressively bouncing back from a disappointing spin at the season opener in Melbourne just a week prior. “It’s been an incredible weekend, the car has been pretty mega,” Piastri declared after the race. The 23-year-old star managed a one-stop strategy perfectly while Norris himself had to contend with a late brake issue, forcing him to settle for second instead of challenging for the lead.
Ferrari’s disqualification was particularly painful, given their solid performance on Saturday, where Hamilton clinched his maiden win for the team during the sprint race. “Clearly it’s not the way we wanted to end our Chinese GP weekend,” the team noted, expressing regret over the errors that led to their drivers losing valuable points.
Hamilton and Leclerc now face an uphill battle in the championship. Hamilton, who only secured nine points this season, is currently positioned ninth in the drivers' standings, and Leclerc is just behind him in tenth, a stark contrast to their traditionally competitive profiles. The disqualifications added to the team’s struggles early in the season, pushing Ferrari down the Constructors’ Championship standings to fifth, now 61 points off the lead held by McLaren.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing finished the race in the fourth position, making a thrilling move on Leclerc in the final laps. His performance showcased the strategic management of tire wear, a skill that proved crucial as he shared his insights after the race: “I suddenly picked up tire grip... where others maybe plateaued a bit more,” he explained. Meanwhile, George Russell managed to secure third place, marking another solid finish with Mercedes despite a challenging race. “The car has been great this weekend and probably one of my best weekends in Formula One in terms of performance,” he expressed after climbing onto the podium for the second consecutive race.
Looking ahead, the Formula 1 circus will move to Japan for the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix set to take place from April 4-6, 2025. Teams will need to reassess their strategies and performance after the dramatic turn of events from the race in China. As the championship dynamics continue to shift, all eyes will be on the next round to see who will rise to the occasion after this high-stakes race in Shanghai.
