Alexandre
The Scuderia Ferrari had a nightmarish Chinese Grand Prix, which ended with the disqualification of its two single-seaters. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, initially ranked 5th and 6th, had their places withdrawn for different technical infractions: underweight for Leclerc, and excessive skid wear (flat bottom) for Hamilton. But a recently revealed piece of information adds an extra touch of drama: Charles Leclerc would have tried a last-minute "trick" to escape this sanction.
It was only after the fact that some surprising images from the on-board cameras emerged. Aware that he was perhaps under the minimum weight, Charles Leclerc would have tried an unusual way of gaining a few precious grams. Before returning to the pit lane, he was caught three times rolling on the grass and collecting debris off the ideal trajectory:
- Wide exit in turn 1 Leclerc widens its trajectory to the outside to pick up debris and earth.
- Passage over grass at turn 4 This means taking extra risks to "stick" as much dust and debris as possible to the tires.
- Gap on the long straight and even in the pit lane A new detour off the track in the hope of making the SF-25 heavier just before the weigh-in.
This practice of rolling off course to accumulate pieces of rubber, even dirt and debris, is already well known in France. Formula 1This is usually limited to the end of the deceleration lap, to ensure that the minimum weight is respected. However, the initiative to push off to the grass is far more extreme, demonstrating Leclerc's dismay at the threat of disqualification.
Despite his best efforts, Charles Leclerc's Ferrari SF-25 remained about a kilo under the 800kg regulation. The trick was not enough to avoid the penalty. The Monegasque saw his 10 points disappear, a real blow to his early season. On the other hand, Max Verstappen, who was also filmed driving on the grass (but not underweight), was able to slip through the net without any consequences for his Red Bull team.
The 2025 Chinese Grand Prix will leave a bitter taste in the mouths of the tifosi and Scuderia Ferrari. Charles Leclerc, deprived of ten points for a single missing kilo, illustrates the extreme demands of modern Formula 1, where the smallest detail can mean the difference between glory and punishment. His daring - even desperate - attempt to drive on the grass to make his SF-25 heavier is a testament to the desperation of the situation.
Charles Leclerc is neither the first, nor the last, to use this little trick, which is very common in circuit racing, and particularly in single-seaters.
On the other hand, in a discipline as high-profile as Formula 1, to lose 10 points in such a stupid way is both bad form and idiotic.
A little more leeway engineers or .... why not weigh the car at the end of the race without tires or with new tires?
Disperato tentativo non direi ,visto che in formula1 é prassi comune