What began as a dream weekend for Lewis Hamilton at the 2025 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai turned into a nightmare following his disqualification from the race.
After clinching his first win with Ferrari in Saturday’s sprint, having secured a surprising pole position the day before, the Brit’s fortunes plummeted during the main event on Sunday.
The trouble started on the opening lap when Hamilton made contact with his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, damaging the Monegasque’s front wing of the car.
The seven-time champion then struggled with pace and was given a two-stop strategy in hopes that fresh tires would give him the boost he needed. It didn’t pay off however and he finished the race in sixth place, right behind Leclerc and way off the pace from Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris who finished 1-2 for McLaren.
The situation then worsened when post-race checks found that the plank on Hamilton’s Ferrari was 0.5mm below the minimum thickness of 9mm mandated by FIA regulations. The rearmost skid thickness measured 8.6mm at two points and 8.5mm at another, triggering an automatic disqualification.
A statement released by the FIA explained, “The plank assembly of Car 44 was measured and found to be 8.6mm (LHS), 8.6mm (car centerline) and 8.5mm (RHS). This is below the minimum thickness of 9mm specified under Article 3.5.9 of the Technical Regulations.
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“During the hearing the team representative confirmed that the measurement is correct and that all required procedures were performed correctly. The team also acknowledged that there were no mitigating circumstances and that it was a genuine error by the team.
“The Stewards determine that Article 3.5.9 of the FIA Formula 1 Technical Regulations has been breached and therefore the standard penalty of a disqualification needs to be applied for such an infringement.”
The disqualification not only wiped out the eight championship points Hamilton earned for finishing in sixth place but it was also another slap in the face for Ferrari as Leclerc suffered the same fate after post-race checks found his car to be under the minimum required weight, as was Pierre Gasly’s Alpine.
This wasn’t the first time Hamilton faced a disqualification for excessive plank wear as he encountered a similar situation at the 2023 United States Grand Prix in Austin while racing for Mercedes, for which Leclerc was also disqualified for the same reason.
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What Are Skid Blocks And Planks in F1?
Planks, which were once made of wood but are now typically made of permaglass, are plates installed beneath every F1 car from front to back.
Introduced as a safety measure in 1994 following the tragic deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger, planks ensure that teams maintain a minimum ride height, preventing cars from running too close to the ground and gaining a competitive advantage. They also protect the car’s floor when it goes over kerbs or rough surfaces at high speeds.
As for the skid blocks, these are titanium plates embedded within the plank to help maintain the required height and prevent the plank from getting damaged. They also cause the car to spark on straights when downforce pushes the vehicle down into the ground.
How Are Skid Blocks And Planks Measured In F1?
Following each race, officials randomly select cars for checks to ensure they comply with the technical regulations. Using specialized measuring devices, the FIA assesses the wear at four holes pre-drilled into the plank and skid. Each hole is 50mm in diameter and 10mm deep.
According to the regulations, the thickness of the plank assembly should be 10mm plus or minus 0.2mm when new. The plank normally wears down during sessions but it shouldn’t be less than 9mm thick when measured later at the designated holes. If the thickness falls below 9mm, the car is in violation of the technical regulations and will be disqualified.
Article 3.5.9 of the 2025 technical regulations states, “The thickness of the plank assembly measured normal to the lower surface must be 10mm ± 0.2mm and must be uniform when new. A minimum thickness of 9mm will be accepted due to wear, and conformity to this provision will be checked at the peripheries of the designated holes.
“The plank assembly must have four precisely placed holes the positions of which are given by RV-PLANK. To establish the conformity of the plank assembly after use, its thickness will only be measured at these holes, regardless of whether plank or skid material is present.”
F1 legend Michael Schumacher was the first to be disqualified for excessive skid block wear, losing his victory at the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix.
