Lewis Hamilton’s Spanish Grand Prix unfortunately ended after just seven laps when a serious braking problem forced Ferrari to retire his car, only moments after the seven-time world champion had been fighting Max Verstappen near the front of the race.
The Briton first reported a “long brake pedal” on lap five before his pace immediately collapsed. Max Verstappen swept past the Ferrari on the run towards Turn 5, and within the same lap Hamilton allowed Charles Leclerc through before running off the circuit and falling as far as 10th place.
Lewis Hamilton Spanish GP retirement follows sudden brake problem
The sequence unfolded extremely quickly. Hamilton had only just regained track position over Verstappen following their controversial opening-lap battle when his Ferrari developed the braking issue.
With Hamilton struggling to slow the car normally, Verstappen reclaimed third position without resistance. The situation then became more serious as Hamilton informed Ferrari over the radio: “I’ve got no brakes.”
The seven-time world champion moved aside for team-mate Charles Leclerc before going off track shortly afterwards. The excursion cost him several more positions and effectively ended any realistic prospect of continuing competitively.
Rather than stopping immediately at the side of the circuit, Hamilton continued at reduced speed towards the pits. By lap seven he had fallen to the rear of the field and Ferrari retired the car.
Ferrari tells Hamilton not to stop on track
One of the most significant details came in Ferrari’s instructions as Hamilton attempted to return to the garage. He was specifically told not to stop the car on the circuit despite the severity of the braking problem.
That instruction also mattered for Charles Leclerc’s race. The Monegasque was running a strategy built around extending his stint on the hard compound, and Ferrari wanted Hamilton to reach the pit lane rather than leave a stopped car somewhere around the Madring circuit.
Hamilton successfully brought the Ferrari back to the pits, allowing the race to continue without his stricken car being left trackside. His Spanish Grand Prix was officially over after only seven of the scheduled 57 laps.
Hamilton’s promising opening laps disappear in minutes
The retirement was particularly costly because Hamilton had been involved in the leading group only moments earlier. He had started the race fourth and battled Verstappen at the opening chicane, before Red Bull later instructed the Dutchman to hand back positions after leaving the track during their fight.
That had briefly promoted Hamilton to third behind Kimi Antonelli. However, the Ferrari driver’s race changed completely once the brake pedal problem emerged on lap five.
There was no gradual decline in performance: Hamilton went from contesting a podium position to being passed by Verstappen, allowing Leclerc through, dropping outside the points and retiring within the space of only a few laps.
Ferrari had not yet identified the precise technical cause of the problem in the information available during the race. Hamilton’s radio messages established that he was experiencing a long brake pedal before reporting that he had no brakes, but a definitive mechanical diagnosis would require confirmation from the team after the Grand Prix.
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