Ferrari Confirms Ride Height Compromise After Hamilton's China DSQ
Why it matters: Ferrari's admission reveals the direct impact of the FIA's post-China GP action on their 2025 car's setup, explaining their early-season struggles and challenges with performance.
The big picture: Following the disqualification of Lewis Hamilton for excessive plank wear and Charles Leclerc for an underweight car at the Chinese Grand Prix, Ferrari was forced to raise their car's ride height, significantly compromising its intended performance.
The details:
- Forced adjustments: Fred Vasseur confirmed that Ferrari had to increase the ride height of their 2025 car, admitting they “lost our way a bit” at the start of the season due to this issue and broader “quality issues” in execution.
- Ride height sensitivity: Vasseur emphasized how critical ground clearance is for these cars, stating, “Every millimeter is a position on the starting grid.” He explained that losing control over vehicle height directly affects competitiveness and diverts focus from crucial aspects like tire preparation.
- On-track impact: The compromised setup reportedly led to strategies such as “lift and coast” on straights to manage excessive plank wear.
- Ongoing issues?: Despite a significant rear-suspension upgrade introduced at the Belgian Grand Prix, Charles Leclerc's mysterious loss of pace in Hungary, where he started from pole, suggests the ride height problem might not be fully resolved.
What's next: Ferrari currently holds second place in the Constructors' standings, but trails McLaren by a substantial 299 points with 10 races remaining. Resolving these fundamental car issues will be crucial if they are to challenge for more wins and narrow the gap to the front.