Ferrari #50 Disqualified from Le Mans for Extreme Wing Deflection

The #50 Ferrari 499P was disqualified from the 2025 Le Mans 24 Hours after failing post-race technical checks. Driven by Antonio Fuoco, Miguel Molina, and Nicklas Nielsen, the car finished fourth, just 29.666 seconds behind first place and just over a second from a podium spot.

Scrutineers found that the rear wing assembly did not match the car’s approved design. The team admitted that four bolts, required for the rear wing’s support, were missing compared to the original homologated version.

Officials recorded a rear wing deflection of 52mm on the #50 Ferrari during inspection. This exceeded the 15mm maximum allowed by Article 3.8.7 of the LMH Technical Regulations.

Ferrari argued that the missing bolts caused the extra movement and maintained no real advantage was gained during the race. However, stewards noted that the #50 Ferrari set its fastest top speed late in the race, on lap 380 of 387, suggesting the reduced drag may have helped performance.

A mechanic noticed a missing bolt around 3:23 p.m., less than an hour before the checkered flag. The AF Corse team running the car did not attempt to fix it.

Officials emphasized that the car’s non-compliance raised safety concerns. The incomplete and irregular assembly of the rear wing could have led to structural failure under the intense forces experienced at racing speeds.

On these grounds, the team’s result was invalidated, and the car was officially excluded from the race.

With the disqualification, the #12 Cadillac driven by Alex Lynn, Nyck de Vries, and Earl Bamber moves up to fourth in the final standings. The #7 Toyota, #5 Porsche, #38 Cadillac, and others also gain one position each.

Every team originally finishing lower than the #50 now improves by one place. This outcome is a major setback for the Ferrari trio, placing them 48 points behind their teammates in the #51 Ferrari in the World Endurance Championship standings.

The decision means the #50 crew faces a challenging road ahead in the championship. The lost points create a significant gap with their stablemates, affecting their title hopes for the 2025 season.

Ferrari’s statement following the exclusion focused on the mistake’s impact while maintaining there was no intention to break the rules or gain an advantage.

Le Mans remains one of the strictest events regarding technical regulations and safety standards. Even minor errors in car assembly or part compliance can result in disqualification, affecting race results and championship battles alike.

For teams and drivers, attention to every small technical detail continues to be as important as speed and race strategy.