Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have been disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix after both of their cars failed their respective post-race technical checks. Leclerc and Hamilton originally finished fifth and sixth respectively for Ferrari in the Shanghai race in what proved to be a disappointing day for the team, but things would soon take a turn for the worse.
Hamilton was disqualified for excessive skid-plain wear. The same infringement that cost him second place at the US Grand Prix when racing for Mercedes. Leclerc was dismissed after his vehicle was identified as 1kg underweight.
The disqualification will damage morale within the camp following an already under-par showing in Shanghai. The removal of both drivers will see Ferrari miss out on a staggering 18 points in the Constructors' Championship, but relations between Hamilton and his new engineers already seemed strained before news of the disqualification emerged.
Lewis Hamilton Couldn't Hide His Frustration With Ferrari During the Chinese Grand Prix
Ferrari's new recruit has only raced for the team twice
Tensions appeared high during the Shanghai race following an exchange between Ferrari engineer, Riccardo Adami, and Hamilton and this disqualification will only add to the enormous pressure Ferrari now faces.
Hamilton was heard on the radio imploring his team for advice as the 40-year-old struggled to catch the leading pack. The seven-time world champion realised he was losing ground and made a desperate plea to his garage for some guidance, stating:
"Give me some feedback guys, come on. I need some feedback of where I’m losing [time]."
When Adami responded by letting Hamilton know that the issue might be happening at Exit 13, Lewis snapped back, replying: "Yeah, you told me that already!" That Hamilton is already sound fed up with his new team after just two races together is not an encouraging sign.
Following the disqualification of both Ferrari drivers, Esteban Ocon of Haas was moved from seventh to fifth, whilst his teammate Oliver Bearman jumped up to eighth. Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes was elevated to sixth, with Williams' Alex Albon in seventh.
Hamilton and Leclerc were not the only drivers to face disqualification as Alpine's Pierre Gasly who initially finished 11th, was also disqualified during the post-race examination. While Ferrari will likely be extra vigilant about flouting technical rules in the wake of the disqualifications, it seems there's a fair bit of team building to do before the Japanese Grand Prix on the 6th April given Hamilton's exceptionally blunt words during Sunday's race.
- Patrick Post
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