Hamilton Disqualification Leads to Calls for FIA Rule Revisions……. read more
Lewis Hamilton’s disqualification from the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix has sparked a call for changes to the FIA’s technical regulations. The reigning Formula 1 champion was excluded from the race after a post-race inspection revealed that the plank underneath his car showed excessive wear, measuring 0.5mm below the minimum required thickness of 9mm. This breach of the technical regulations, specifically Article 3.5.9, led to an immediate disqualification for Hamilton, a decision that has drawn mixed reactions.
The disqualification stemmed from the wear on the wooden plank on the car’s floor, which is a critical component designed to ensure that cars are not running too low to the ground, potentially gaining an unfair aerodynamic advantage. According to the FIA’s regulations, this plank must maintain a thickness of at least 9mm throughout the race. However, it was discovered that Hamilton’s car had fallen short by 0.5mm, leading to the sanction.
Ferrari, who were involved in the technical inspection process, confirmed that the issue was a genuine mistake, with no suggestion of any intentional wrongdoing or cheating on Hamilton’s part. This clarification has led some figures within the F1 world to question whether such a strict interpretation of the rule is necessary, especially given that the discrepancy was minor and seemed to be the result of accidental wear rather than a deliberate attempt to exploit the regulations.
In the wake of Hamilton’s disqualification, prominent figures in the motorsport community have voiced concerns about the fairness of the FIA’s technical checks and the severity of penalties for seemingly trivial issues. Former F1 driver René Arnoux, speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, suggested that the sanction seemed excessive, particularly since the issue was not one of deliberate cheating. Arnoux argued that had the irregularity been more significant or had there been an intentional violation, a penalty would have been more justified. However, in this case, he emphasized that the discrepancy was so minor that it hardly warranted such a severe penalty.
The disqualification has raised questions about the clarity and consistency of the FIA’s regulations. With Formula 1 becoming more technologically advanced and the margins between success and failure increasingly thin, even small issues like excessive plank wear can result in major consequences. This has prompted calls for the FIA to reconsider the rigidity of certain technical rules, particularly when it comes to penalties for minor infractions that may not have any real impact on a car’s performance or fairness in the race.
As a result of Hamilton’s disqualification, there is now growing pressure for the FIA to review its regulations and possibly introduce more lenient interpretations for minor technical breaches. Such a change could help avoid situations where drivers are penalized for accidental or inconsequential errors, ensuring that the spirit of the sport rema
ins intact.
