Ferrari's Double Disaster in China: Hamilton and Leclerc Disqualified from Grand Prix Victory
- ~ 2 Min
- Formula One Competitor Oscar Piastri Claims Victory in China; Title Contender Max Verstappen Falls out of the Race
The Chinese Grand Prix has taken a outrageous turn, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, both representing the legendary Ferrari team, being kicked out of the race results due to technical hiccups. Hamilton, the six-time Formula 1 champion, lost his sixth place on Sunday, thanks to an excessively worn floor on his ride, measured at 8.6 mm and 8.5 mm on different points, falling short of the minimum thickness of 9 mm specified in Article 3.5.9 of the FIA Technical Regulations.
"We didn't mean to cheat," Ferrari said in a team statement, showing signs of frustration. "We'll learn from today's debacle and make sure this crap-up never happens again."
Charles Leclerc, the Monegasque racer, isn't able to keep his fifth place from the Grand Prix as his car only weighed 799 kg instead of the required 800 kg at the crucial moment. Alpine's Pierre Gasly was also caught up in the same mess, with his ride also weighing 799 kg, costing him the 11th place. The drivers behind them take their spots in the race standings, kicking off a fresh shuffle.
Max Verstappen, the four-time Formula 1 champion, faces the risk of falling behind early in the season in his struggling Red Bull. The Dutchman could only manage fourth place in the McLaren double win of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. Verstappen couldn't keep up with the podium-chasing individuals, finishing 16.6 seconds behind Piastri.
Red Bull's motorsport advisor Helmut Marko doesn't seem impressed, telling Sky, "We're pissed off, but we ain't giving up hope just yet." Verstappen showed signs of improvement towards the end due to his driving skills, but it was too late to make up for the lost time. "We were as quick as the leaders at the end, but it was all too fucking late," admitted Marko.
Lando Norris held onto the lead in the championship standings, increasing his advantage over Verstappen after his victory in Australia. George Russell followed close behind in third, while Australian Piastri secured his third career Grand Prix victory, giving McLaren a dream start to the season.
Germany's Nico Hülkenberg, the lone German contender in the field, finished 18th with his Sauber. The 37-year old from the Rhineland, who stunned audiences with seventh place at the start last week, took back six championship points after switching from the US team Haas.
Note: Enrichment data is sparingly included to help clarify and enhance the article without overshadowing the original content.
- Landor Norris, who increased his advantage over Max Verstappen in the championship standings after his victory in the Grand Prix of China, came in first place, with Oscar Piastri right behind him in second.
- Despite Ferrari's double disaster, with both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc being disqualified due to technical violations, the team's frustration was evident in their team statement, asserting that they would learn from the incident and prevent similar occurrences in the future.
- Helmut Marko, Red Bull's motorsport advisor, expressed his disappointment with Max Verstappen's fourth-place finish in the Grand Prix of China, but acknowledged the Dutchman's improved performance towards the end of the race, offering hope for better results in upcoming races.
