Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur predicts there could be more disqualifications in the 2025 season, as teams look to take more risks with their cars.

He made sure to point out, however, the differences in being disqualified for taking risks and “because someone is cheating” – with the two representing different things.

Ferrari boss on potential for more DSQs in ‘push your self to the limit’ explanation

Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were disqualified from the Chinese Grand Prix last weekend, along with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.

Leclerc and his car combined weighed less than the required 800kg minimum after the race finished, while Hamilton endured too much wear on the floor of his car, meaning the plank on his SF-25 was not of the required width after the chequered flag – with these technical infringements resulting in immediate disqualifications.

In a hotly-contested battle at the front of the field, Ferrari boss Vasseur explained these disqualifications may not be the last we see this season, given the need to “push yourself to the limit of all parameters” – which will likely only be heightened with more teams fighting at the head of the pack.

He made sure to clarify that technical infringements of this nature were not tantamount to “cheating”, however, with the FIA already policing a high number of areas across each car.

Latest F1 2025 head-to-head standings after Chinese GP

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head qualifying statistics between team-mates

👉 F1 2025: Head-to-head race statistics between team-mates

“Yes, for sure,” Vasseur told French publication L’Equipe when discussing whether teams taking more risks would lead to more disqualifications in 2025.

“One must distinguish between disqualification because you take risks and disqualification because someone is cheating.

“The goal of the game in F1 is to push yourself to the limit of all parameters, everywhere.

“To get to the last gram of weight, to get to the last tenth of a millimetre of the plank [the floor wear indicator], to get to the last millimetre of wing deformation.

“So certainly, the more pressure we’re under, the more intense the battle, the more we need to get close to these limits and the more risks we take.”

Leclerc took to social media to express his feelings after his disqualification, with the Ferrari driver having crossed the line fourth despite damaging his front wing on the opening lap of the race.

He wrote on his Instagram account: “Last weekend was really tough. We’ve got to reset and work hard to turn the situation around in Japan and I’m sure we will.

“A big thank you though to the amount of support you gave me during the weekend, it always surprise me to have such support in China and it means a lot ❤️”

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