Online Reporter
SHANGHAI. — Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were disqualified from the Chinese Formula One Grand Prix after their cars failed post-race checks on Sunday.
The pair finished fifth and sixth respectively in the race in Shanghai but Leclerc’s car was found to be under the weight limit while Hamilton’s car was reported to stewards for excessive skid wear.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, who finished 11th, was also disqualified for his car being below the minimum weight.
Leclerc had lost his car’s front wing end plate in a first-lap collision with Hamilton but that was replaced before the final weighing.
Stewards reported that it weighed 799 kg after the fuel was drained, with the minimum weight set at 800 kg.
The thickness of the plank on Hamilton’s car was below the minimum nine mm.
“During the hearing the team representative confirmed that the measurement is correct and that all required procedures were performed correctly,” stewards said in a statement.
“The team also acknowledged that there were no mitigating circumstances and that it was a genuine error by the team.”
The disqualifications benefited Haas particularly, with Esteban Ocon moving up to fifth and rookie Oliver Bearman eighth.
Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli moved up to sixth for Mercedes with Alex Albon seventh for Williams.
Gasly’s disqualification meant Lance Stroll finished ninth for Aston Martin and Carlos Sainz took the final point for Williams despite finishing 13th on track.
“Charles was on a one-stop strategy today and this meant his tyre wear was very high, causing the car to be underweight,” Ferrari said in a statement.
“With regard to Lewis’s skid wear, we misjudged the consumption by a small margin.
“There was no intention to gain any advantage. We will learn from what happened today and make sure we don’t make the same mistakes again.” — Reuters.
Mathew Masinge