Ferrari ‘annoyed’ with new FIA rule change that could play a key role in deciding the championship

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Ferrari have privately voiced their displeasure at a rule change introduced by the FIA that might have just cost Lando Norris the drivers’ championship.

Lando Norris thought he had put himself in a commanding position to win the drivers’ championship at the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix.

However, both McLaren drivers were disqualified for excessive plank wear, meaning Max Verstappen is now level on points with Oscar Piastri and only 24 points behind Norris.

The Las Vegas Grand Prix was a very tricky event for all the drivers, with qualifying taking place in horrific conditions and practice interrupted by drain cover issues once again.

Ferrari have started the final triple header of 2025 in a frustrating manner, with Charles Leclerc narrowly missing out on a podium and Lewis Hamilton having a weekend to forget.

They will know exactly how McLaren feel as the only other team to experience a double disqualification this season, and a rule change that caught out the Woking-based team in Las Vegas hasn’t gone down well within Fred Vasseur’s camp.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

Ferrari ‘annoyed’ with FIA rule change on monitoring plank wear on every F1 car

Journalist Jorge Piero was reporting on the race in Las Vegas and provided more insight into why McLaren were caught out for having excessive plank wear on both of their cars.

He explained: “I understand that McLaren made a mistake with the heights and lowered the car too much on a circuit where they were begging for performance.

“A source at the FIA is clear that it was an isolated situation in Las Vegas and that neither in Qatar nor Abu Dhabi will they need to lower the car so much. They should do much better, and Norris could seal the title in Lusail.

“Beware. In recent weeks, the FIA has tightened controls and started checking all cars. Ferrari is somewhat annoyed by this.

“The Federation makes it clear that it checks every car ‘in the same way’. Just in case anyone has any doubts or suspicions. It’s been the year of the DSQs.”

READ MORE: David Coulthard calls Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari performance at the Las Vegas Grand Prix ’embarrassing’

Ferrari’s 2025 hopes ruined by plank wear concerns after Chinese Grand Prix disqualification

The opening race of the season in Australia wasn’t positive for Ferrari as their drivers squeezed into the points despite six retirements.

That was quickly put down to the weather, and Hamilton’s victory in the Sprint Race in China appeared to be an early turning point for the Scuderia.

However, when Hamilton was disqualified for excessive plank wear after the Grand Prix in Shanghai, it forced Ferrari to raise their car for the rest of the season.

Ferrari have had to make changes to their rear suspension to try and fix the issue, but Hamilton is notorious for liking his cars sitting as close to the ground as possible, putting him in an awkward situation.

On top of this, Leclerc and Hamilton have both been frustrated by constant calls to lift and coast during races to try and mitigate any excessive plank wear concerns.

With the FIA no longer spot-checking this issue, it means Ferrari are even less likely to take a risk to try and earn their first Grand Prix victory of the season.

With F1’s upcoming rule changes on the horizon, it was too late for Ferrari to go back to the drawing board to try and solve the issue, and instead have had to re-focus on being a competitive force in 2026 and beyond.