Lewis Hamilton’s impressive recovery at the 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix suffered an early setback after the Ferrari driver ran wide while closely following Oscar Piastri, allowing Max Verstappen to move ahead on lap four. The mistake cost the seven-time world champion ninth position and dropped him to 10th at Interlagos.
Having made rapid progress from 20th on the starting grid during the opening stages, Hamilton was attempting to continue his climb through the field. However, the small error gave Verstappen the opportunity to gain a place, interrupting what had been a particularly encouraging start for the Ferrari driver.
Lewis Hamilton runs wide as Max Verstappen moves ahead in Brazil
The incident occurred on lap four of the scheduled 71-lap Brazilian Grand Prix, with Hamilton running close behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
As the Ferrari driver followed Piastri, he ran slightly wide, losing enough ground for Verstappen to move ahead. The change in position placed the Red Bull driver ninth, immediately behind Piastri in eighth, while Hamilton fell to 10th.
It was a frustrating interruption to Hamilton’s early recovery. After starting the race towards the back of the field, the Briton had already made considerable progress, putting himself among the drivers fighting for positions inside the top ten.
The mistake did not take Hamilton out of the points-paying positions, but it did reverse one of the places he had gained during his charge through the order.
Ferrari’s early Brazilian GP recovery encounters its first setback
Hamilton’s opening phase at Interlagos had been particularly impressive. Starting from 20th, he climbed to 11th on the opening lap, gaining nine positions almost immediately.
That progress represented a significant improvement in his race situation, especially considering the amount of traffic he faced at the start. By lap four, however, his attempt to continue advancing brought him into close proximity with Piastri, with Verstappen also involved in the battle.
Running wide while following another car can be costly when positions are being contested closely. In this instance, Hamilton’s mistake provided a direct opportunity for Verstappen, who moved ahead and established himself between the McLaren and Ferrari drivers.
At the end of the incident, the order was Piastri eighth, Verstappen ninth and Hamilton 10th. The Ferrari driver therefore remained within the points but had lost ground to a rival who was also making progress through the field.
Lewis Hamilton remains in the points despite losing position
Although the error cost Hamilton a place, his overall recovery remained substantial. Compared with his original grid position of 20th, the Ferrari driver was still running 10 places higher by lap four.
That distinction is important when assessing the opening stages of his race. The setback interrupted his momentum, but it did not erase the gains achieved during the opening laps.
With 67 laps remaining at the start of lap five, there was still a considerable distance to cover. Hamilton’s immediate challenge was to remain close to the cars ahead while avoiding further errors that could compromise his position.
For Ferrari, the situation illustrated both the opportunities and difficulties of recovering from the back of the grid. Hamilton had quickly reached the top ten, but the encounter with Verstappen demonstrated how easily a small mistake could cost a position during a closely contested battle.
The opening stages had therefore delivered contrasting moments for the seven-time world champion: an excellent getaway and rapid progress, followed by a costly but limited error. As the Brazilian Grand Prix continued, the question was whether Hamilton could recover the lost position and resume his climb through the field.
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