Lewis Hamilton reflects on ‘very unusual’ Dutch GP crash as Ferrari endures double DNF
Lewis Hamilton suffered his first retirement as a Ferrari driver on lap 23 of the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix, underscoring that the summer break has done little to ease his struggles with the SF-25. The seven-time world champion had been attempting an undercut strategy on teammate Charles Leclerc and former Mercedes teammate George Russell as rain began to fall at Zandvoort, but disaster struck before he could reach the pits.
The British driver lost rear-end control while running over the wet line on the banking at turn four, spinning into the barriers and triggering the safety car. This incident marks a frustrating continuation of Lewis Hamilton’s difficult start to life at Ferrari, as he had been grappling with understeer issues throughout the weekend, including two spins during Friday practice sessions.
Lewis Hamilton describes Dutch GP crash as ‘very unusual’
After the race, speaking to the media via Sky Sports, Hamilton admitted uncertainty about the exact cause of the crash but emphasized that it was highly uncharacteristic for him to retire so early in a Grand Prix. He explained that as he climbed the banking, the rear of the car snapped unexpectedly, leaving him unable to regain control. Hamilton described the car as slightly “twitchy” over the wet surface but noted that his pace had been competitive, allowing him to catch up to George Russell and other midfield competitors before the incident.
Despite the early exit, Hamilton acknowledged that the team had made real progress during the weekend and that his overall pace had been encouraging. Nevertheless, he admitted that failing to finish so early in the race was far from ideal, describing the result as “definitely not great” but part of the unpredictable nature of racing at Zandvoort.
Ferrari endure catastrophic weekend at Zandvoort
Former F1 driver and commentator Karun Chandhok described Hamilton’s crash as “odd,” theorizing that the understeer on the wide line of the banking contributed to the incident. Coming away from the Dutch Grand Prix with zero points was a major blow for Hamilton as he continues to adapt to Ferrari and seek consistency with the SF-25.
Ferrari’s woes worsened on lap 53 when Charles Leclerc also crashed at the same corner after contact with Kimi Antonelli. The Monegasque had been fighting for fifth place and had pitted for soft tires, but the collision sent him spinning into the barriers, compounding the Scuderia’s misery at Zandvoort. With both drivers retiring from the race, Ferrari left the Netherlands without scoring any points.
Looking ahead to Monza
The Dutch Grand Prix represents a weekend Ferrari will want to quickly forget. Both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc demonstrated moments of speed, but strategic misfortunes and racing incidents derailed their efforts. The team now faces immense pressure to deliver results at their home Grand Prix in Monza next weekend, where performance and reliability will be crucial to regaining momentum in the 2025 Formula 1 season.
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