Lewis Hamilton caused a red flag during the third free practice session at the Madring after locking up and hitting the barriers at the final corner. The Ferrari driver damaged the front wing of his SF-26 in the incident, leaving the Maranello team facing an urgent repair job ahead of qualifying later in the day.
The accident added another complication to a weekend in which Ferrari has been working to refine the SF-26 around a completely new circuit. With qualifying expected to carry particular importance in Madrid, the priority immediately shifted from final setup work to recovering Lewis Hamilton’s car and assessing the damage.
Lewis Hamilton crashes at the final corner in Madrid FP3
The incident began when Lewis Hamilton locked up at the final corner and ran into the barriers. The impact damaged the front wing, but the seven-time world champion initially attempted to continue and return to the Ferrari garage.
The situation quickly became more complicated when the damaged front wing became trapped underneath the floor of the car, compromising the SF-26’s ability to continue normally.
Ferrari instructed Lewis Hamilton over the radio to stop the car on track. However, the British driver continued trying to make his way back to the pits in an effort to maximise the limited practice time still available before qualifying.
Hamilton forced to stop at Turn 15 and causes red flag
Lewis Hamilton managed to keep moving for several minutes despite the damaged front wing being caught beneath the car. Eventually, however, he was forced to stop definitively at Turn 15.
That brought out the red flag and interrupted FP3, cutting short an important final practice period at a circuit where teams have been gathering as much information as possible before the first qualifying session at the new Madring.
The incident is particularly inconvenient for Ferrari because the team had been using Friday and Saturday practice to narrow down the correct operating window for the SF-26. Lewis Hamilton had already identified balance as an area requiring further refinement after Friday, while the team continued evaluating the car’s behaviour on a rapidly evolving track.
Ferrari now waits for Hamilton’s SF-26 before qualifying
Ferrari’s immediate concern is now how quickly Lewis Hamilton’s car can be returned to the garage. The team needs access to the SF-26 before it can fully inspect the damage and complete the necessary repairs in time for qualifying later in the afternoon.
The front wing was visibly damaged, while its position underneath the floor prevented Lewis Hamilton from driving the car back normally. The time required to recover the car therefore becomes an important factor for the mechanics as the countdown to qualifying continues.
For Ferrari, the interruption comes at an awkward moment. The team had spent the weekend building its understanding of the Madring and searching for the correct balance between single-lap performance, tyre behaviour and setup. The FP3 accident now adds an unexpected repair programme to that preparation.
Qualifying preparation disrupted at a crucial stage
Saturday’s final practice session represented Ferrari’s last opportunity to validate its setup direction before qualifying. Any time lost is particularly valuable at a new venue, where every additional lap helps drivers and engineers understand braking points, grip evolution and the limits of the circuit.
Lewis Hamilton’s incident therefore leaves the Maranello team with less track information from the closing phase of FP3 while also forcing the mechanics to focus on repairing the car. Attention now turns to whether Ferrari can restore the SF-26 in time and complete all the necessary checks before qualifying begins.
Formula 1 also published footage of the incident, showing Lewis Hamilton locking up before making contact with the barrier.
Watch the video of Lewis Hamilton’s FP3 crash at the Madring
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