Image via Scuderia Ferrari HP
While expectations for what Scuderia Ferrari HP could achieve this season have been high, so far reality has been harsh. After finishing fifth and sixth in the Chinese Grand Prix, both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were disqualified after FIA examined the Formula One cars post-race. For some fans, it was a slap in the face after a hard-fought competition.
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Leclerc’s Car 16 was too light, coming in 1 kg underweight, so he was first to be disqualified. In an official statement, Scuderia Ferrari HP blamed that on a one-stop strategy for Leclerc, resulting in his tires wearing excessively, which the team believes is why the car came in underweight.
As for Lewis’ Car 44, the rear skid wear was measured at 0.5 mm below the FIA limit for thickness. That might sound anal because it is, but rules are rules. The team said it “misjudged the consumption by a small margin” and that resulted in the fault.
If true, this means the two drivers weren’t disqualified by any fault of their own but instead thanks to miscalculations by their team. Considering how Scuderia Ferrari is portrayed as well-oiled machine, these kinds of errors are shocking and troubling.
In total, Ferrari lost 18 points because of the disqualifications. That puts McLaren squarely in the top spot for the Teams’ Championship so far at 61 points ahead of Ferrari while Mercedes is 40 points ahead.
Some have portrayed the “errors” as signs Ferrari has been trying to cheat. But in its official statement, the team says it wasn’t trying to gain an unfair advantage in the race, vowing to “learn from what happened” and not repeat the errors.
For what it’s worth, Pierre Gasly of Alpine was also disqualified for his car being underweight.
Now Scuderia Ferrari HP is looking forward to the Japan GP after these disappointing results in China. Hopefully the team and drivers bounce back.
Image via Scuderia Ferrari HP
