Lewis Hamilton F1 disqualification proves McLaren are real deal at Austrian Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton looks deflated while Lando Norris looks smug — Photo: © IMAGO

Austrian Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton disqualification proves McLaren are real deal at Austrian Grand Prix

McLaren could have emulated Ferrari at the Austrian Grand Prix

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Tuesday 1 July 2025 12:44 Updated: 16:01

McLaren once again asserted their F1 dominance at the Austrian Grand Prix last weekend and in doing-so, highlighted Ferrari's main weakness.

Ferrari last achieved race-winning success in China, where Lewis Hamilton managed to claim sprint pole and convert it into his first victory with the Scuderia.

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However, Hamilton's and Ferrari’s fate took a drastic turn on Sunday in Shanghai, with both Hamilton and Leclerc disqualified for separate reasons.

Leclerc’s car was found to be below the minimum weight, whilst Hamilton was disqualified for excessive plank wear which was 0.5mm below the limit.

Fast-forward to Austria, concerns were raised post-race by Anthony Davidson on Sky F1 that Norris could find himself in a similar situation.

Luckily for Norris and McLaren, the FIA scrutinised his car after the race and found it to be in conformity with the regulations, despite the concerns over running the car that low to the ground.

McLaren succeed where Ferrari fail at Austrian GP

Norris' plank passed inspections at the Austrian Grand Prix

Ferrari have struggled to find a solution to their ride height issues throughout the 2025 season, and were unable to take the same risks as Norris with their plank wear, after they were spotted lifting and coasting throughout the Austrian GP.

Most drivers lift and coast during a race to save fuel or to cool their engine, but in Austria, Ferrari wanted to avoid any extra downforce pushing the car down and thus prevent contact between the plank and the ground, in an effort to combat extra wear.

In doing so, Ferrari’s deficit to McLaren increased after Leclerc and Hamilton had to lift off the accelerator sooner than they usually would, a method the team have had to employ throughout the year.

Where McLaren could run lower to the ground in Austria without sacrificing performance, Ferrari were unable to match their rivals and highlights why they had a deficit of over 20 seconds at the end of the race.

Back in April, Vasseur claimed that Ferrari's ride height issues were not unique to 2025, and instead labelled it as a characteristic of the ground effect era.

“We all want to run the car lower, we would all have more downforce in the situation, for everybody but there is a limit. The limit is bottoming and the limit is the regulations," he said.

“We are all spending the weekend on where is the limit and where can we run the car a bit lower and then you are too low. It is the same for everybody and we all know with this type of car, performance is a lot linked to the ride height.

“It is true for us, it is true for everybody, it is true today but it was true for the last two years. We were disqualified in Austin in 2023 with Mercedes, because we were trying to reach the same point. It is not the characteristic of the car this year or the characteristic of the Ferrari, it is true for all the field.”

Regardless of Vasseur's early protestations after Hamilton's disqualification, McLaren appear to have mastered how low they run their car without incurring a penalty. In return, McLaren now have an unassailable lead in the constructors' championship, where they lead by 207 points.

If there was ever any doubt about their title credentials, the Austrian Grand Prix has just shown that they are the real deal.

Lewis Hamilton Ferrari McLaren Lando Norris Austrian Grand Prix