Lewis Hamilton loses all-time F1 record with Chinese GP disqualification
Lewis Hamilton lost the all-time F1 record he set in F1’s Chinese Grand Prix, following his shock post-race disqualification at the Shanghai International Circuit.
The seven-time world champion had initially finished in sixth after opting for a two-stop strategy, but was expunged from the results after the skid-block on his SF-25 was found to be 0.4-0.5mm too short in routine post-race checks.
It is the third disqualification of the 40-year-old’s F1 career, with the Briton having previously been disqualified in the 2009 Australian and 2023 United States GP.
In the first of those at Albert Park, he was disqualified for lying to the stewards. Ironically, he then lost a second place finish at the Circuit of the Americas for too much wear on the skid-block of his Mercedes W14.
The Chinese GP quickly unravelled into a disaster for Ferrari, as Charles Leclerc was also disqualified after his car was found to have been under the legal minimum weight of 800 kg.
It is the first time in the history of the world championship that Ferrari has had two cars disqualified from a grand prix, dating back to the Scuderia’s entry into the sport in 1950.
With his disqualification, Hamilton also lost the fastest lap of the race he had set – a 1:35.069, some 0.385s clear of Lando Norris.
In setting that lap time, Hamilton had set a fastest lap for the 16th consecutive season, thus breaking the joint-record he holds with Michael Schumacher of 15.
Hamilton’s run started with his fastest lap at the 2010 Chinese GP, having not set a fastest lap during the 2009 campaign.
Remarkably, 2009 is the only year of Hamilton’s career in which he failed to add to his 67 fastest laps to date, 10 behind Schumacher’s all-time record of 77.
Elsewhere, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly also being disqualified for an underweight car, the 2025 Chinese GP is the first F1 race since the 2004 Canadian Grand Prix to feature at least three disqualifications.
At that race, the Williams and Toyota drivers were all thrown out for illegal brake ducts, whilst the last race to feature exactly three DSQs was the 1989 Canadian GP when Stefan Johansson, Nigel Mansell and Alessandro Nannini were all black-flagged.
