Ferrari Faces Catastrophic ‘Double DNF’ as Leclerc’s Race Ends in Chaos!
In a shocking turn of events at the São Paulo Grand Prix, Ferrari has been dealt a devastating blow, experiencing its second double DNF of the season—an occurrence not seen since 2020. The team’s hopes were dashed as Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton both exited the race prematurely, leaving Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur to lament a “tough Sunday” and branding the result as “very harsh.”
The drama unfolded on lap six, just after a safety car restart, when Leclerc fell victim to a chaotic incident involving Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. The Monégasque driver was unceremoniously punted off the track following a collision between Antonelli and Piastri at Turn 1, ending his race in heartbreak. Vasseur was clear about Leclerc’s innocence in the debacle: “I don’t care about who is at fault between Piastri and Antonelli, but for sure, it was not Charles!”
But the nightmare didn’t stop there for Ferrari. Seven-time world champion Hamilton also had a tumultuous outing, retiring after 37 laps due to severe damage sustained in two separate incidents during the opening lap. Initially colliding with Carlos Sainz of Williams at Turn 1, Hamilton later found himself in trouble when he hit the back of Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, resulting in a shattered front wing on his SF-25.
The catastrophic results mean that Ferrari now finds itself languishing in fourth place in the constructors’ championship, a disappointing four points behind Red Bull and an alarming 36 points adrift of second-placed Mercedes. Vasseur expressed his frustration: “When you give up points, you give points to the others. It’s the double penalty, and in our case, it’s very harsh.”
Despite the overwhelming disappointment, Vasseur attempted to find a silver lining, acknowledging the promising pace shown in qualifying and the initial stages of the race. “I had the feeling that with Charles, we were in a good place,” he stated, praising Leclerc’s strong start and restart. However, he admitted that with the championship reaching its climax, “it’s difficult when you have a double DNF,” emphasizing that the focus should be on accumulating points rather than potential.
As the dust settles on this disastrous race weekend, all eyes will be on Ferrari as they attempt to regroup and refocus in the upcoming races. With the pressure mounting and the championship slipping further from their grasp, will they rise to the occasion or continue to stumble? One thing is for sure: the stakes have never been higher, and the Maranello team cannot afford any more missteps.








