'Hero to zero' Lewis Hamilton leaves Jeremy Clarkson befuddled

Ferrari's newest addition, Lewis Hamilton's mixed results in Shanghai last week left TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson puzzled. In his column, Clarkson questioned how Ferrari went from being a hero in the sprint race to being a zero in the main race while competing on the same track.

The 2025 Chinese Grand Prix was an eventful race for Ferrari. Hamilton clinched his first pole of the season in the sprint shootout and also set the record for the fastest lap recorded in Shanghai.

In the sprint race, the British driver drove 19 clean laps to win his first sprint race with the Italian team. However, from being the fastest in the sprint race, Hamilton dropped to P5 in the qualifying session. His pace further dropped in the main race as he finished P6.

To add to his misery, Hamilton was disqualified as the FIA found excessive skid block wear on his car after the race. His teammate, Charles Leclerc, also faced a DSQ as his car failed the minimum weight requirement test.

That being said, Lewis Hamilton's dramatic fall from being a sprint winner to getting disqualified in the main race in a span of two days left TV presenter Jeremy Clarkson baffled. In his column written for Sun, he said:

"For the sprint race in Shanghai last weekend, the elder statesman [Hamilton] took pole position and then cruised away from the pack to win the race as well. What’s interesting, and troubling, is that a few hours later, having created headlines around the world, Lewis could only qualify for the main event in fifth."

"And in the race itself, he was so slow he let his teammate overtake. And then he was disqualified. How is that possible? I can understand that a car might be quick at one track and the following weekend, at a different track, be useless. But to go from hero to zero at the same track? On the same day? It makes no sense,” he added.

In a post-race interview, Hamilton explained that setup changes to his car after the sprint race led to a dramatic fall in performance during the main race.

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Why did FIA disqualify Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in China?

Lewis Hamilton [L] Charles Leclerc [R] - Source: Getty

Ferrari's troublesome weekend in China ended on a disastrous note as both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc were disqualified after the race.

According to FIA, the seven-time world champion's car was noted for excessive wear on the skid block. While the minimum measurement required is set at 9 mm, Hamilton missed the mark by 0.5 mm.

On the other hand, his teammate, Charles Leclerc, was disqualified since his car failed to pass the minimum weight test. His car weighed 1 kg less than the limit set by the FIA. Pierre Gasly of Alpine was also noted for the same violation as both cars were disqualified.

That being said, Lewis Hamilton's and Leclerc's DSQ cost Ferrari big time as they dropped to P5 in the constructors championship with 17 points.