This was Ferrari’s second double DNF of the 2025 F1 season.
It was a painful repeat of the Dutch Grand Prix earlier this year, making it the first time since 2020 that Ferrari have suffered two double retirements in one campaign.
Leclerc’s race ended on lap six after being an innocent casualty of a chain collision involving Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. The Monegasque was sent spinning into the barriers at Turn 1, leaving him unable to continue.
Hamilton’s afternoon unravelled soon after the start. The seven-time world champion sustained damage in two separate incidents on the opening lap, first making contact with Williams’ Carlos Sainz at Turn 1, and later hitting the back of Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, destroying his front wing. He eventually retired after 37 laps, with the team citing “unrecoverable damage” to his SF-25.
The double retirement proved costly for Ferrari, who dropped to fourth in the constructors’ standings, now trailing Red Bull by four points and Mercedes by 36 with just three races remaining.
“A tough weekend, at least a tough Sunday,” Vasseur told reporters. “I had the feeling that with Charles we were in a good place. He had a good start and a clean restart, but we paid the full price of the crash between Antonelli and Piastri.
“I don’t care who was at fault between them, but for sure it was not Charles. It’s tough because in this fight you can’t afford to give away points. It’s a double penalty, and for us it’s very harsh.”
Despite the disappointment, Vasseur found some encouragement in Ferrari’s overall pace. “If I have to take a positive, it’s the speed in qualifying and the fighting spirit we showed.
“We are attacking, not defending, that’s a good sign,” he added. “But at this stage of the championship, points matter more than potential.”
Formula 1 now heads to the United States for the Las Vegas Grand Prix on 22 November, where Ferrari will aim to bounce back over 50 laps of the 6.12-kilometre street circuit under the Nevada lights.
